Through the Omenpaths is the Arena Exclusive set web-slinging enwebbing to Arena September 23rd. This set is a little different from the paper counterpart: Marvel’s Spider-Man, due to licensing issues that we don’t need to get into. I’m just clarifying for anyone confused about what the new set is, and why Peter Parker is called Surris, Spidersilk Innovator on Arena. With that out of the way, let’s start breaking down the cards for the new set!
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)
Angler’s Shield
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This can end up drawing you a good amount of cards, depending on your modified creature count. The other strength of this equipment is the cheap equip cost. A +2/+2 equipment with equip cost of 2 is powerful.
Wonderweave Aerialist
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
A fine 2 drop that scales with your deck’s modify-ing ability. Both Blue and White have quite a few options for that.
Kumonosu, the Watchful
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
At the very least, this is 5 for a 5/5 vigilance that draws a card when it connects. The passive ability is where this card shines, and can draw you multiple cards on the turn it comes down.
Makdee and Itla, Skysnarers
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
2 for a 2/2 flyer in limited is almost always good. The opponents creatures coming in tapped is a bigger boon than you may expect, especially considering the number of “draw cards on combat damage” effects within Azorius. It should also be mentioned that this is very easy to cast in any deck that plays blue or white.
Cirina Bargainspinner
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
There’s not a super high amount of aura/equipment options in this set, but Hide in Mundanity will be one of the most common options.
Margot, On the Case
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
For the most part, this acts like a Phantom Warrior, but gets much better with any modifications.
Neach, Pinnacle Pariah
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
By the time you cast this, it should draw you at least 5 cards or so. Sure, it’s a bit slow, but you should be able to close out most games after you play this.
Mob Lookout
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This may seem innocuous enough, but Connive is a very powerful ability.
Tearle, Entropic Hunger
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This guy provides a ton of value. It trades with a flyer or kill spell, and draws you the best card out of your top three.
Carlo, Suave Schemer
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Dimir has the highest villain count of the 5 color combinations. As long as you’re able to follow up with at least 1 villain, this card is solid.
Kavaero, Mind-Bitten
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
Unlike other Clone type effects, this has a default mode of a 4/4 for 4, which isn’t awful. There are so many different, powerful effects this can take on, it will be problematic most games.
Skv’x the Augmenter
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
It’s pretty difficult for this card to not get you at least 1 free card, and sometimes can get you more.
Rishei, Getaway Accomplice
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a bit slow and situational, but it does have some nice enough stats.
Desecrex, Gift of Servitude
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is probably a bit less exciting than it seems, but it does provide some value. One of the cooler interactions would be casting this on turn 2 via Skittering Kitten getting the cat back and drawing a card.
Nu and Sumi, Career Criminals
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
It won’t be very common that this draws you additional cards, but it will feel oh so sweet when it does.
Knife Trick
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is pretty sketchy without a good amount of Mayhem cards.
Kivni, Orb Weaver
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
A majority of the time this will just be a 2/1 menace for 2. It does have some application for chaining multiple mayhem cards in one turn, but it doesn’t seem that likely.
Crash, Reckless Endrider
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
A decent enough mayhem enabler. It can also help push some final points of damage without mayhem synergies.
Ruzic, Booed but Victorious
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is a high risk/reward card, that can be very powerful in mayhem heavy decks, and a big liability in others.
Cheering Crowd
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Your opponent has the option of pumping this up for some extra mana, which does have some scary implications. Other than that, this grows every turn and gets you free mana along the way.
Dreadfang, Loathed by Fans
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
I really like this creature. It’s a 3/4 vigilance for 3 at it’s worst. Once it starts becoming 5+ power, it’s an absolute problem.
Xecau, Predation’s Shadow
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
7 mana is a tall order, but if you have some form of ramp, this is a solid top end threat.
Rhino’s Rampage
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
A buffed up version of Prey Upon, that can absolutely brutalize an opponent if they happen to have an artifact you can take out. It should be noted, there aren’t a ton of viable targets for the second clause.
Borys, the Spider Rider
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Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
Boros is an absolute beater. Even if you enweb him on turn 2, your casting a 5/4 trampler on turn 2, which should absolutely induce arachnophobia.
Leyline Weaver
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This is the best mana dork in this set.
Gallant Citizen
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
Elvish Visionary is still good, but this one’s a little more difficult to cast outside Selesnya.
Demera, Soul of a Spider
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
There’s a pretty high amount of spider creatures in this set, so this will draw you extra cards in pretty much every deck.
Alenni, Brood Recruiter
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
This thing does the majority of the work towards ending a game all by itself.
Janai and Hoppy, Roofskippers
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
2 mana 2/2 flyers are always solid, and this one leaves a little memento behind when it gets Shocked or enwebbed.
Alessos and Pras, Acrobats
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
This is a bit lackluster when you cast it for 5, but if you’re able to enweb it for 3, it becomes pretty scary.
Diligent Webkeepers
Rating: 2.5 // 5.0
An easy include in any Green or White deck. The ETB ability is extremely powerful.
Withar, Cocoon Keeper
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
This card has some high variance that comes along with it. In the games where it’s good, it’s phenomenal, but sometimes it does close to nothing.
Qoneus, Horizon Splicer
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a banger. It’s a large enough creature that it’s more difficult to kill and returns the exiled permanents to owners hands instead of the battlefield.
Uharis, the Stormspinner
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
The floor of this card is pretty solid, it’s a 2 drop you can play on turn 4, with 4/3 worth of stats, which is totally fine. The passive ability is pretty crazy, and starts Shocking your opponents stuff every turn.
Brako, Heartless Hunter
Rating: 3.0 // 5.0
This is a must-kill threat for 3 mana. It only needs to trigger once for it to make a meaningful impact.
Gloria, the Great Armorer
Rating: 3.5 // 5.0
Both “halves” of this card are incredibly powerful. The downside of this card is that you do have to be able to attack to get any value out of it.
Druneth, Reviver of the Hive
Rating: 2.0 // 5.0
The most difficult part of enabling this card, is following it up with a 1 and 2 drop creature. But if you do have meaningful 1 drop creatures, or reliable ways to alter this creatures power, it can do a lot of work.
Scions of the Ur-Spider
Rating: 1.5 // 5.0
Typically, decks that want to play all 5 colors, aren’t incredibly creature dense. This creature is extremely powerful, but it’s hard to make work reliably.
There we have it! Coming to the home stretch, I’ll be breaking down Artifacts and Lands next, stay tuned!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
