Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: Artifacts, Lands, and Multicolor Part 1

Hey everyone! It’s time to slap on my detective hat and solve some cases in Magic: The Cluening. We all know that it was really Urza with the Candelabra of Tawnos in the Library of Alexandria. Wait, you’re telling me it wasn’t? Uh oh, I’ll leave all of that to Scooby and the gang then. While they are solving some mysteries, I’ll be reviewing the full set of Murders at Karlov Manor.

Per usual, I’ll be grading the entire set for the purpose of limited as well as writing about a million other articles about it. With all that, you’ll be well prepared to crush some serious dreams.

Here’s the usual grading scale:

• 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)

---

Artifacts

Cryptex

Rating: 0.5/5

I’ll start out with the obvious joke about how they must call this a mana lock.

Unfortunately that is about all this card has going for it. It’s a situational mana rock that you’re probably not going to be able to use early and then it takes five turns of collecting evidence before you can cash it in.

Gravestone Strider

Rating: 1.5/5

I hope you’re not going to be relying on this for splashing, but sometimes you’ve got to settle for any port in a storm. Exiling a card from an opponent’s graveyard could be useful, but its also nothing to brag about.

Lumbering Laundry

Rating: 1.5/5

Being able to look at your opponent’s face down cards is typically worth very little. Personally, I don’t let it effect my valuation of a card at all. If I need a beefy creature, I’ll consider this and if I don’t it’ll be sitting there doing nothing just like the basket full of laundry in my room.

Magnetic Snuffler

Rating: 1.5/5

I’m sure you’re expecting a comment about Snuffleupagus or maybe a “Everyday I’m snuffleing”. Sorry to disappoint you, but I will be doing neither.

This has some synergy with the clue equipment cycle since you can sacrifice them to draw a card and bring them right back attached to this. You can also get them in the graveyard via surveil or looting them away.

Growing when you crack a clue is a nice threat of activation when attacking, but not nearly as relevant to this card an getting an equipment back when you play it.

Magnifying Glass

Rating: 1.0/5

You don’t need to look at this with a Magnifying Glass to see that it is a subpar include. This was questionable back in the day and is kind of a joke after power creep.

Sanitation Automaton

Rating: 1.5/5

The surveil one is just enough to ensure that this card sometimes ends up being a card twenty-three. That’s better than nothing.

Thinking Cap

Rating: 1.5/5

This is based on you playing a deck with a heavy detective theme. You shouldn’t even think of playing it otherwise.

Lands

Branch of Vitu-Ghazi

Rating: 2.0/5

Sometimes you can afford to play a colorless land when you are playing two solid colors (without too many double pips) and this one has the fallback of being a warded up Gray Ogre without taking up a spell slot. The value increases exponentially in a mono-colored deck where the colorless land doesn’t really matter.

It can even be fixing in a pinch, but I wouldn’t consider it as a source.  The best way to look at this is that it is an MDFC where the land portion can come in untapped. Neither side is exciting, but it’s a decent package.

Escape Tunnel

Rating: 3.0/5

You’ve always been happy playing Evolving Wilds in almost every limited format and this is a straight upgrade to that. You never know when that power two or less is going to be the difference between winning or losing when there is minimal opportunity cost to having it.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can sacrifice it on a disguised creature and then flip it up for a lot more damage.

Public Thoroughfare

Rating: 1.5/5

I don’t mind running this if I am going full on shenanigans with my splashing. There are just better options for fixing in most decks.

Scene of the Crime

Rating: 2.0/5

Being able to sac this for a new card when you no longer need it is a nice option, it can even pay for half of the cost itself since sacrificing it doesn’t require a tap.

It’ll be fine, but I’m not a fan of lands that come into play tapped and tap for colorless. Having to tap a creature to get colored mana is a drawback even if it is possibly fixing.

Surveil Land Cycle

Rating: 3.0/5

I’m going to lump these all together because no one wants to read ten different excerpts about the same card even if I could make a Shadowy Backstreet Boys reference.

As long as you are playing these colors you want these as the Surveil is a decent step up above the gain one life lands. I would also say they are better than the Temple lands because I value Surveil higher than Scry especially in a set where you actively want to get cards in your graveyard.

Multicolor Part One

Agrus Kos, Spirit of Justice

Rating: 4.0/5

Mythics are going to mythic and these first few are a pretty crazy start to this section. For clarity, I tend to be a little conservative on grading multicolored cards until I’ve played the set some. The fixing seems like it can support it, but I want to see it in action first.

A very aggressive card that takes away your opponent’s ability to block by pointing the finger of suspicion at any of their creatures. Sometimes they are even nice enough to suspect their own creatures so you can exile them instead. Even without that you can play this to suspect something and then exile it when this attacks the next turn.

Double strike of course plays great with tricks and equipment, but they are going to have to deal with this quickly or just lose to it.

Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth

Rating: 4.0/5

Being able to turn a clue into a Sphinx's Revelation is a pretty sick ability, being able to do it multiple times is even more disgusting. Even if they do have the answer to this, you at least got a clue out of the deal.

Anzrag, the Quake-Mole

Rating: 4.0/5

Your opponent is going to be quaking in their boots when you drop the Mole God. This is just an insane number of stats for four mana that doesn’t require double pips of a color. Getting an additional combat when they block ensures chump blocking isn’t the answer and makes a Fanatical Strength that much more devastating.

Assassin’s Trophy

Rating: 2.5/5

You really don’t want to be pointing this at something early on because ramping or fixing your opponent is terrible. Its much better later on as a double spell when that extra land doesn’t matter as much. It has great versatility in being able to deal with anything so it is still worth running.

Aurelia, the Law Above

Rating: 4.0/5

This comes in hitting hard and even draws a card as long as you have two other creatures to attack with. Getting to Lightning Helix their face whenever five creatures attack ensures that the race is going to end up in your favor.

It is important to note that these trigger off of either player making these attacks. Don’t be that person who doesn’t notice and sends an extra creature that does less damage than the ability that it triggers.

Blood Spatter Analysis

Rating: 2.5/5

Two mana to deal three damage to a creature sounds fine, but is much less exciting when there are a bunch of warded up small creatures running around. It also doesn’t deal with anything higher up the food chain.

The second part is kind of disappointing because it feels arbitrarily more difficult than it should be. Only getting one counter during a combat when multiple creature die on both sides means this will take awhile to trigger. Then when it does, you just get a Raise Dead, not even a reanimation.  

Break Out

Rating: 1.0/5

I am only playing this card if I have a bomb that is significantly better than the other cards in my deck. While the chance to fail should be low, it is going to be miserable when it does. Getting a two drop in play or putting a creature in hand is just not that great. Play a good card instead.

Buried in the Garden

Rating: 3.5/5

Getting to Oblivion Ring and get a ramp is a nice little combination on a card even if it costs one more mana than you would want to pay for either.

Case of the Shattered Pact

Rating: 1.5/5

I’m sneaking this into multicolored because I didn’t have a colorless section and you want to be playing all five colors for this anyway.

This is not the type of fixing you want to be playing unless you are going wild on the five color nanigans. Of course, if you are planning on casting Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact then you want this in your deck.

Cease // Desist

Rating: 2.0/5

I do like that they added the second target to the wording of this so that you still get the card if they remove the graveyard cards you targeted in response. It’s still basically a cycle that gains two life with slight upside.

The desist portion is one of those when you need it, you need it things. In most cases you won’t.

Coerced to Kill

Rating: 3.5/5

While not quite a Control Magic, you are still removing their best creature with the ability to potentially trade it for another of their creatures. One thing to notice is that the creature doesn’t lose its abilities when you steal it, it just has its base power/toughness changed with deathtouch added on.

Crowd-Control Warden

Rating: 2.5/5

If I am playing a chonker just to play a chonker, then this is the one I would want. Five mana for something in the range of a 7/7 is a solid deal.

I’ll be playing this face up most of the time because I want to develop my board more before it hits while disguise and unmorphing leads to a smaller board presence.

Curious Cadaver

Rating: 3.0/5

This zombie is far more interested in a board game than eating brains. While the base part of the card isn’t great, it is still an evasive threat. What really matters is getting to bring it back from the graveyard when you do something that you were going to be doing anyway(I don’t think I have to give you a clue to help you figure out what it is).

Deadly Complication

Rating: 2.5/5

It’s sorcery speed Murder with some upside if you have a suspected creature. It’s really not that complicated to figure out to grade it a little lower than Murder.

Detective’s Satchel

Rating: 2.5/5

Paying four mana to do nothing isn’t a great spot to be in and even though it can make thopters when you crack clues, you really need to be able to produce more of them to make it worth it. The best plan is to have Harried Dronesmith going because it makes a mana free sacrifice every turn so you can make your more permanent thopters with this.

Dog Walker

Rating: 3.0/5

A great way to go wide with one card which is exactly what Boros wants to be doing. On top of that you get to play with doggos and who doesn’t want that.

Doppelgang

Rating: 3.5/5

This costs five mana for one copy of one permanent, eight mana for two copies of each of two different permanents, etc… That means that you will almost always be able to cast it for one, can play to the point to get two, and three is usually a late game top deck dream.

I would try to aim to get to eight mana because getting four tokens is a massive step up from one even if it is a copy of the best card on the table.

Drag the Canal

Rating: 3.0/5

I don’t think anyone is getting too excited about an instant speed bear that requires two colors. It is an option if you lack other two drops though. Its really about getting all the rest of the juice out of this so you need to do a trade, use a removal, or even get them to use a removal on one of yours.

Etrata, Deadly Fugitive

Rating: 3.5/5

This should be able to attack in early to make a creature unless they have some good defenses set up. The deathtouch means that you can get them really good with a combat trick or by removing something on a double block.

There are other assassins in the set that can trigger this as well, but most of them are high picks so it won’t be easy to build a team. Being able to flip any creature for four mana is nice, but not a huge draw for this card.

Evidence Examiner

Rating: 3.0/5

This can really add up over the course of the game, especially if you are getting triggers off of Chalk Outline from it. It’s mostly a hard to cast bear in the early game unless you have some way to dump stuff into your graveyard.

Ezrim, Agency Chief

Rating: 4.0/5

This isn’t the easiest to cast card, but a 5/5 flyer that investigates twice is a really good card. Being able to turn those clues into vigilance, lifelink, or hexproof is a pretty big deal and a good reason why you might want to wait to cast this until you can hold a mana up to protect it.

Faerie Snoop

Rating: 2.5/5

In most situations I’m not too interested in playing a 1/4 flyer for three, but luckily this snoop has other options. While six mana is a lot, it is paid in installments and getting the creature along with another card is pretty nice. Dropping the other card into your graveyard is actually beneficial in this set as well.

Flotsam // Jetsam

Rating: 2.0/5

Apparently, Ursula’s pet Eels have a card named after them. I’m sure that is the source of this and not at all any other historical context.

While getting cards into your graveyard is beneficial, you’re going to be up to four mana by the time it replaces itself. Not really worth it for that.

The back half can be pretty nice, but they also can collect evidence to remove the tasty goodies before you get your hands on them. (I am aware they can’t do anything about the three cards they mill as part of the spell, but that’s hoping things line up right instead of playing with a plan)

Fuss // Bother

Rating: 2.5/5

What kind of Karen makes a Fuss in the middle of combat. They complain so much that the manager gives all their creatures a +1+1 counter to shut them up. It’s a fairly strong trick if you are going wide that can win more than one combat while keeping your critters swole.

Bother is kind of pricy, but is a nice fall back when you have been in an attrition war or aren’t in the position to be attacking.

Gadget Technician

Rating: 2.5/5

Its an inverse Oltec Cloud Guard with the option to disguise it. While I would obviously prefer that the bigger part of this was flying, it’s still a nice amount of value on one card.

Gleaming Geardrake

Rating: 3.5/5

I would be playing this card if it didn’t grow when you sacrifice an artifact just because it’s a two-mana flyer that investigates. While it provides its own clue, you should have plenty of artifacts to sacrifice to turn this into a very real threat.

Granite Witness

Rating: 2.5/5

Only costing one more mana to add the tap or untap option when you play it makes it a decent option to have. I would prefer if my vigilant creature had more than two toughness because it isn’t much of a threat to block as it is.

Hustle // Bustle

Rating: 1.5/5

The hustle portion is kind of random, but could be used as an early removal spell when things line up right. It gets worse as the battlefield grows though.

The bustle is an Overrun that could certainly have some uses in a go wide deck. The thing is that Boros go wide decks already have On the Job as a cheaper instant speed option that replaces itself.

What I’m getting at is that it’s a card that could make the cut, but often won’t.

Ill-Timed Explosion

Rating: 3.5/5

As long as you have the right mana value card to discard than this is an adjustable sweeper that could wreck your opponent while leaving your side high and dry. Of course, you have to consider that means you could also not have something expensive enough to kill their creatures.

I do like that it has the option to be an overpriced Divination if you have no interest in sweeping.

---

Wrap Up

The artifacts are the usual mix of substandard filler that can help finish off a deck that didn’t quite get there in the draft. The Lands are a collection of solid fixing with Escape Tunnel being a nice upgrade on Evolving Wilds. The multicolored cards look extremely powerful especially the rares and mythics which will usually be worth splashing if possible.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow with my prerelease guide and the next day with my limited review of the second part of the multicolored cards of Murders at Karlov Manor. Until then, stay classy people!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

You can also find me at:

• Discord
• Twitch
• Twitter