Dominaria fully spoiled! (Set Review)

   Hi! It's been awhile since my last post, but it looks like my boss, Jeff Tan is ready to make me do this as a weekly thing. With that, I'm happy to announce that there will be a weekly article from Magus Games that will cover basically almost every game I can get my hands on! Big thanks to Magus Games!

With that out of the way, this week we'll cover Magic the Gathering's exciting new set, Dominaria!

Over on the right we can see a few new characters, Jhoira, Teferi, and Karn. Hopefully their stories will be a lot better than the Jace-tice League that we had to endure for a good few years. Mtg has a lot of sweet characters and planes so it'd be great if they kept changing things up instead of just focusing on a set number of characters. Liliana is also still in this story but it adds more to her character so I don't mind.

As interesting as the lore is, I know most of the people reading will be here for the cards. The prerelease is this weekend so I don't really have enough time to cover everything, so I've compiled a few cards I've found interesting. Some of these cards will be obviously good, some will be bad but look good, and others I just added because they're fun and flavorful! While reading this, know that this is all my opinion, and I could be wrong, I believe though that this evaluation is sound and solid not because I think I'm an authority on mtg but because I believe I've developed a solid system for evaluating cards. I believe cards should be evaluated based on context. What do I mean by this? Take these cards for example:

                 

                                   
 These three cards may be expensive and considered great now, but there was a time these cards were literal trash. I know a lot of good players, even pro players that dismissed these cards as bad when they first came out, I have friends that have ripped these cards in the past. I personally thought Stoneforge and Death's Shadow were good cards, they just needed proper homes. Some cards are not that good when they first come out and that's okay. Context is taking into account the meta, sometimes bannings happen, cards rotate out, or meta's change. All of these factor into making a card great. Knowing a card's inherent power level on its own and knowing its power level when given context is key to proper evaluation of cards. Next we have these three:

          

These three had very high preorder prices. and they bombed after a couple of weeks . A lot of people disagreed with me when I said these cards were not as good as their price due to the meta, and the things they do. On paper these cards had the potential to be great, but the meta, speed of the format, lack of home, and flat out better cards made these cards see near 0% play during their standard times. During Sarkhan Vol's standard time the meta was dominated by a faster, better, consistent, card at the same casting cost as Sarkhan by the name of Bloodbraid Elf, Godsend was thrust into a sea of devotion decks like Monoblue devotion and Monoblack devotion, Havengul Lich had to compete with Solarflare and Birthing pod decks. Today Godsend and Sarkhan are both seeing play only in EDH decks, and are normally there on a just for fun basis. Havengul Lich, is..... well most of you probably never heard of Havengul Lich before.

On to the cards!

On its own, this card is pretty strong and looks good for UW auras; but, at the 3 CMC (converted mana cost) it has to compete with Slippery Scoundrel and Aethersphere Harvester. Maybe it'll be part of a new deck, like RW auras or White weenie if they work out; but, in those decks it competes with the other 3 CMC like Valduk, Keeper of the Flame and Benalish Marshall. Probably rating it 11/20.

This card looks really good, but it might also be too obvious. I think the most important thing to do with this card is finding the home wherein this card is at its best. Is it going to be better in straight up white weenie? Maybe in a token deck like Abzan? There's also room for him in a cross between white weenie and tokens like how UW auras can play wide due to Sram's expertise. Sram's expertise into Benalish Marshal could be a back breaking play, similar to Sram's into Aethersphere Harvester, but a lot more all around, since Sram's into Aethersphere is a lot stronger against aggro. 15/20

This card is strong and has two obvious homes already. Common mainboard answers will be Chandra, Glory bringer, Cut, harnessed lightning with a little help, Vraska's Contempt, Fatal push with a little help, Walk the plank, Cast out, Settle the wreckage, Fumigate, Seal Away. Chandra, Glory bringer, and Cut can no longer answer it after a turn of pumping, Fatal push needs a revolt trigger to kill it, and the rest of the cards from the white removal aren't seeing as much play as white is a little low in the format. Vraska's Contempt is the only clear answer, that and countering it. Normally I don't like cards that force you to pay more mana into making them good, but this card is honestly playable on its own as the pump ability does not define it. I like how you can play GW tokens with a Adorned Pouncer and this gives you added protection to spot removal, the only thing you need to do now is to find where to make your cuts from the mainboard for this. It's legendary type doesn't even hurt it as you probably won't play four. 16/20

 This card is good but it has to compete with other stellar one drops like Skymarcher Aspirant, Legion's Landing and Sacred cat. Of course you probably won't play four of this as playing this on turn one defeats its point. It's playable but hard to slot in, magic has evolved to the point where a vanilla 2/1 for one white is no longer good enough, maybe you play two in the GW deck, maybe 0, the aura deck might not even want it, straight up white weenie is spoiled for choice right now with the amount of great white one drops and this card might not make the cut. Remember that the card you're protecting has to already be on the field, so opponents with just straight up answer the creature you're trying to protect as you cast this. Bright side is it doesn't target, so when you announce to your opponent the creature you control it's too late for him to answer it, food for thought. On the opposite side a lot of cards can kill now while bypassing indestructible. 11/20

I like this card because it's a meme. If you ever kill someone with this card I will personally buy you a cookie from Magus Games. There are so many reasons why this card is bad but if you ever kill someone with it once you can probably brag about it for years to come. 7/20

 New. Baneslayer. I am a fan, maybe due to nostalgia because when I was new, Baneslayer was dominating the format. I honestly feel like a legendary version of Baneslayer is enough, even back then when you watched people play. It only took one unanswered Baneslayer to end the game. You can only kill this with Vraska's contempt, harnessed lightning with a little help, the white mass removals, Seal away, and Cast out. I hope this card creates its own UW control deck, as Approach is too slow and Drake haven has too many low power level cards. As a finisher this card has the same effect as Scarab God, a finisher that can block. Scarab God just does a few more things with scrys, and recursion of threats. This card could be amazing or terrible, no middle ground. 18/20

This card reminds me of  Reveillark in that it needs a white based midrange deck. During its time in standard Reveillark had boat brew, and now it has a lot of random EDH decks floating around. This card could do that, but it needs a lot of help. Its stats are too low and there might not be enough historic spells to get it to work, you also need a deck that has enough CMC 3 or less to use its ability effectively. 5/20

New white knight. I like it but its not pro black like regular white knight. That said it beats all the black based removal, but against Grixis energy, thopters and even The Scarab God can easily block it. Against UB Control, it runs into Torrential and Scarab God, so it's basically a toss up between this and Adanto vanguard on which is better. This can't be hit with Moment of Craving though so maybe it's a little better. It still begs the question if you even want it in your sideboard if the best thing it can do is not be hit by Moment of Craving. It doesn't even attack for three unless they have a Scarab God, if they have a Scarab God this can't attack. Might be good against UB midrange, but that deck's numbers are dwindling. That deck can answer this with Walking Ballista as well. Might be just okay. 10/20

                


Obligatory goblin reprints. I like how Warchief is now legal in modern though. I always felt like goblins got the short end of the stick when the Modern format was announced because all the good goblins were in Scourge and Onslaught but now, finally we have Warchief in Modern. Skirk Prospector may be passed its time of usefulness though and Siege-gang is not as good when Glorybringer is in the format. With goblins virtually extinct in the legacy scene, I like how we can now have the potential for a Modern goblin deck, hopefully it materializes even without legacy powerhouses like Goblin Lackey and Goblin Matron.

I like Squee~, even back then I thought he was incredibly flavorful. Now the flavor is on full burst as there is really no way to get rid of him at all. I would love to play a Squee brawl deck as you will never have to pay any commander tax for him. For standard he doesn't see any real reason to be played, someone mentioned to me that you can grind out control with Squee but with UB being the premiere control deck, eventually Squee is going to be brick walled by blockers from Scarab God. The only real question is why is Squee a 2/1 now (he used to be a 1/1)? Did he grow as a warrior? Is it from years of experience? No one really knows. 5/20, flavor 20/20

This card is good, but it competes with better one drops in the Standard format. Bomat courier, Soul Scar Mage, and Fanatical Firebrand. It scales up well late game as a Goblin Guide with no drawbacks but with red playing a minimum of nine spells in their maindeck, It won't be a 2/2 haste until maybe turn three, and even then, on turn 6 is a 2/2 haste even that good? Probably not. 10/20

This card may very well be the new Ferocidon. It's the new Ferocidon in the way that it's good against tokens and that's about it. On its own a 3/3 with first strike is hard to contend with in combat but it competes with Pia Nalaar and Ahn Crop Crasher. Casting it is also a pain due to triple red, and the fact that the red deck has atleast six sources of colorless mana from utility lands. 11/20

As much as everyone loves this card, it really is just a 5/4 unblockable. It's also triple green. Maybe not that difficult to cast due to Lanowar elf but I played in the era of Leatherback Baloth. It wasn't that impressive. This may be the same, I could be wrong but for now, 12/20.

This might pop out every once in a while in some decks, maybe a one-of here and there. Stats are good but it's still just a fight effect. The built in part (the fight ability) makes it a limited all star though. 12/20

In the old classic days of mtg this card was amazing. Now it's probably just trash, but I'd stick it in a Ghalta brawl deck. The new art is pretty nice too. 8/20

Everyone is really into this card, some have even went as far to call it a mistake to reprint, or even say mtg is broken. I can understand why but coming from the classic days when this was legal, even the metagame that had Birds of Paradise and Noble Hierarch at the same time, this will not be as broken as I've heard people say. It's obviously good though. 18/20

I really like this card. It beats a lot of cards right now, only losing to Cast outs, Seal away, white mass removals, and Vraska's Contempt. Plus if you run Walking Ballista in a blue shell you can easily drop this card into play turn 4, the problem with cards like these are you have to look at both sides to this card, and evaluate if both sides are good. If you can't cheat it into play consistently enough it becomes worthless. Four to cast 5/6 flying is great. But 6 to cast 5/6 flying is probably just bad. Needs an artifact themed home for it to work. For now, it's a 9/20. In a good enough home though this can be upwards of 18/20.

Reminds me of superman type cards like Aetherling or Morphling. This scales up throughout the game but it's still just an X/4. Glorybringer eats it everytime. If a monoblue tempo aggro deck shows up this could work out though. 14/20

   

These two are another example of cards that you have to evaluate both sides of. There may not be enough Wizard's to make these two viable just yet but even if there were, you have to evaluate both sides, not just the best part. For example Wizard's Lightning is either Lightning bolt or Open fire. Lightning bolt is an all star, but open fire is just not good enough. Is the ability to sometimes be a lightning bolt be good enough to have open fire in your deck? Maybe. Maybe not. Same as Wizard's Retort. Sometimes it's Counterspell. Sometimes it's Cancel. 8/20 for now mainly because there aren't enough Wizards. 

I love Syncopate. It's a little bit more powerful than Censor as it has lesser chance of being a dead counter but Censor is more flexible due to the fact that you can always just cycle it for a card. 13/20

I miss Rewind. This card isn't rewind, it's a negate with upside. If you can pull off the upside this would be a great card but there aren't enough flash cards to abuse this effect. Back then Rewind had Restoration Angel, Snapcaster Mage, and Sphinx Revelation to utilize the mana, right now all we have is Glimmer of Genius and maybe Settle the Wreckage, you'd be hard pressed to find an opponent that casts a noncreature spell before combat to get Unwinded into a Settle the Wreckage though. 7/20

Time Warp is always going to be pretty cool, but finding a home for these types of cards are always going to be the biggest hurdle. Even Time Warp didn't see play until the Pyromancer Ascension infinite combo was discovered, and even then it was only around for 6 months. 11/20

 
  I have no idea why this card image is smaller than the rest of the images I have been posting, I am sorry. I like this card for one deck in particular, tokens. In tokens this is better than a Fatal Push, I always found Fatal Push in the token decks to be awkward but needed, now they have a removal spell they can use. Anywhere else Moment of Craving is better. UB control will not bother with this. UB midrange will probably play this the day they need a sacrifice outlet. 14/20

I don't see how anyone is playing this card. If you are just a little bit behind this might win you the game, the same way a timely Fog can win games between monogreen mirrors. It doesn't advance the boardstate, and even if you do resolve this you still need to win the game while garnering card disadvantage. Flavor is solid though. 5/20

This could see play in UB midrange. It's a very midrangey card. Gonti into this is very doable, but you might only play this as a one-of or non at all. The legendary sorcery mechanic is hard to evaluate because the need for a legendary creates an added cost on top of the mana your'e paying. 13/20

I love the flavor this card has. It's probably not seeing play at all, but I'm calling it memecat. I don't care what anyone else says. Memecat has a hard time pushing into standard due to the strength of curious obsession but if the meta becomes week to flyers, this could see play. 6/20, flavor 20/20 <3

Seal away is great for white control decks, white aggro decks can also benefit from this, but the plethora of options the aggro deck has makes this a minuscule upgrade over available options. White control decks though have a hard time solving nearly everything. Baffling end just isn't enough. This solves Hazoret for two mana, and it adds complexity to attack steps against White control decks. It really puts the decision on the aggressive player, as if he attacks with all his creatures he could be Settled, if just one it could be Seal Away or Cast Out. Much needed hoser that can take care of midranged threats as well. 15/20

Doomblade. It might not hit a few creatures, but it hits enough creatures to matter. It's basically an added answer that beats different things when compared to the other cheap removal black has in Moment of Craving and Fatal Push. The best part about this card is that it gives black decks answers to cards that before, could only be answered by Vraska's Contempt. 16/20

EDH staple, for standard it's tough to say if you a) have enough legendaries  to turn this on reliably and b) need this artifact in the first place for mana. Normally decks that need cheap mana run few lands and can use the mana rocks for advantage like how affinity plays with Spring leaf drums and Mox Opal or Fast combo decks like Vintage decks with power nine moxen. I don't think this card fits both those strategies, but you never know with mana rocks. I don't remember a time they were ever bad. For now 10/20 due to EDH play-ability.

Too much has already been said about this card. In modern, this can just turn off tron. In Vintage, it stops a ton of unfair decks; same as in Legacy. My only qualm with it is these formats. Legacy and Vintage can easily use Wastelands to stop unfair mana although the upside of simply having a Damping Sphere stopping all lands in its tracks is probably strong enough. 19/20 for other formats, may not grow to be too expensive, but a good hoser for other formats and its second ability is no slouch either. Slams storm as well.

Supposed to be an all star for affinity, but I just don't see it. Easily answered by Modern's vast array of removal spells, and even if it isn't answered it's a 3 turn clock that starts at turn four. I've seen affinity clock people on turn two with a Vault Skirge and a Cranial Plating. As for late game, I think an Etched Champion will be a lot scarier than this. Standard there aren't enough good on their own historic spells. 3/20











Saga's are hard for me to rate as there have never been Saga's before. They feel like planeswalkers that you can't choose modes for. They will do things on certain turns and they can be wrecked by disenchant effects. They kind of feel like a cross between planeswalkers and contraptions from Unstable. Contraptions were fun to play with though, but I think the key to Saga's are more on their strength as individual effects and less on their synergys. As your opponent can always try to disrupt you, its not like what the Saga itself does is a secret

For the first two turns, Song of Freyalise acts as a Cryptolith Rites, and then it rewards you by buffing your whole team and gaining Vigilance, Trample, and Indestructible. It is awesome that the last part gives you all three abilities as this allows you to attack with no fear, except for a settle the wreckage. It also gives you enough leeway to block the following turn if your opponent is a creature deck. Mana is always good, and even Cryptolith Rites was tier two and more of an anti meta in a world of Collected Company. With the lack of white control decks, Song of Freyalise could be a welcome addition to GW decks, allowing them to turbo out threats to blow midrange and aggro decks out of the water. Works well with the GW hexproof granting angel as it gives you a mana sink. 15/20

Armageddon has never been a bad card. The problem though is this costs 6 mana, by then the opponent will have a board if he's aggro or midrange or counter your spell if he's control, it'll wreck the lands mastermind deck floating acround right now though, but I dont see that deck enough too matter anyway. 8/20

Simple. Cheap. Effective. This is my favorite Saga of the set, it may be the obvious pick but I really like three to cast two 2/2 knights with vigilance, the last part is just a bonus, your'e already happy after two 2/2 knights. Great with Sram's Expertise. 14/20












                         

Out of the cycle, these two are probably the best. Divination on the blue one and Raise the alarm on the white one?, yes please! The blue one is going in every single blue control deck in standard right now while the white one is pairing up with Sheffet Dunes and annoying a lot of players. both of these 15/20

We're getting all the buddy lands back, and that's amazing!, once again all the color combinations have amazing mana, as a bonus they even come with some great art, I though the art in Ixalan's buddy lands were good but they've really upped their game here. Love the art, love the lands, and love the equality between all two color combinations 20/20

I like how this isn't legendary so you can stack up a lot of mana in a classic style monoblack deck. Right now there may not be enough incentive to go monoblack, but this card will make a lot of EDH and maybe brawl players happy. 9/20

Karn comes in and automatically becomes hard to deal with as it grows to 6 loyalty. The problem is, what is Karn doing?, normally I rate planeswalkers on the change they can do to a board state and the options they give you moving forward. Karn to me feels like its spending way too much time to draw 2 cards. maybe late game you can sort of "tutor" whatever card to your hand but it feels way too slow, its +1 is bad for me because it gives your opponent the choice of whichever card and I am not a fan of giving your opponent choices. I dont like Vexing devil, Browbeat or Killing wave. These type of cards are just bad for me, it's different when your opponent Torment of Hailfire's you for 25 because your'e just dead when that happens. There is no choice. It's also different from Fact or Fiction or Gifts Ungiven. These cards give your opponent the illusion of choice, in all actuality the player with face will always pull ahead. Gifts Ungiven is a more difficult card to play with, but if you know what your doing, you will always get the cards you want. Aside from those two abilities, the ultimate is a little underwhelming, it feels very build around and if your just playing it for "value" I really dont think random 2/2's or even 1/1's are going to be that valuable

                      

Jaya Ballard is a different type of red planeswalker. It's very controlly esque and it's ultimate is expensive and doesn't win the game. Not a good start. There might not even be enough Red instants or sorceries to take advantage of  any of her abilities to be honest, this makes you dip into other colors, but Jaya needs triple red mana, again a big conundrum when trying to use her effectively. She is a lot of mana, and she makes you spend a lot more mana, not a fan of those kinds of cards. 8/20. I am more impressed by her Immolating Inferno, but again it needs a legendary, it might not be that difficult in a green ramp-ish dorks strategy but it also needs a legendary source. Maybe Chandra in a RG midrange-ish strategy?, maybe. 10/20

This card is definitely interesting, but the problem with cards like these is that they are way too win more. If you're untapping with a planeswalker and activating it turn after turn you are probably already winning the game. This costs five mana and it might turbo out a planeswalker ultimate sometimes. other times you don't have a planeswalker in play and the oath is just there, chilling. not a fan. 5/20

Here he is, the Hero of Dominaria. Big title, hopefully he's also the hero of UW control decks, but i doubt it. If you could pick between dropping the 5/5 Angel and this, you'd choose the Angel. Maybe you would play one of this in a Flash type deck but there just isn't enough incentive. The ulti takes 5 turns to activate, and it doesn't immediately win the game, maybe you can pair it with a glimmer or a pull from tomorrow but there are a lot better win conditions than that. Control planeswalkers need to prolong the game, give you card advantage or win you the game. This draws you one card, might bounce a permanent into the opponents deck for a few turns and is five mana but makes you feel like its three because it untaps two lands. It's too slow. And isn't powerful enough to do anything. Angel is better, Fumigate is better, blue Gearhulk is better. 8/20




And those were all the cards I found interesting for Dominaria!, this weekend is the prerelease and I wish everyone great pulls. Remember all of these were my opinion and we can disagree and that's okay. I've been known to hate cards more than usual anyway. Til next week!