Constructed Rating
5 – Not only does this card go in every deck that plays those colors but you should warp your deck so that this card is part of it.
4 – If you play these colors this card will appear in your maindeck.
3 – This card will appear in a large portion of the decks across formats that can support it or a guaranteed sideboard staple for years to come.
2 – This card will see moderate play in Standard or Modern or will be a decent sideboard card in all formats.
1 – A moderate sideboard card at best and may see some main deck play.
0 – This should never see any serious constructed play.
Limited Rating
5 – Pack 2, Pick 1. Yeah it’s that good you should warp your deck for after opening this.
4 – This will always see play in if your deck can support it or it will be hate drafted for sure.
3 – A limited deck staple that will push your deck over the top and win games.
2 – The bread and butter of most limited decks.
1 – Cards that will be added to your deck to fill those last slots.
0 – NEVER play this card.
* * * * * * *
Black
[card]Balustrade Spy[/card]
Constructed – 0
You’d think someone would notice a Vampire floating outside their window.
Limited – 2
This may not seem to pass the vanilla test at first glance, but there are many cards that have the mill flavour and the body is acceptable for a flyer.
[card]Contaminated Ground[/card]
Constructed – 0
Once upon a time, [Card]Psychic Venom[/Card] and [Card]Twiddle[/Card] was a thing. Those times are long passed.
Limited – 0
The only thing this does is contaminate your deck with bad cards.
[card]Corpse Blockade[/card]
Constructed – 0
This seems more fitting in Innitrad than Ravnica.
Limited – 0
If I understand this correctly, at the cost of two creatures I can kill one creature. Seems like I’m losing value here.
[card]Death’s Approach[/card]
Constructed – 0
There are many better forms of removal in Standard.
Limited – 2
At worst this is a slow removal spell but the longer the game goes on, the greater impact this will have.
[card]Devour Flesh[/card]
Constructed – 1
So there is a two mana edict at Instant speed? I’m not sure the life gain is very detrimental to the decks that will be playing this and it can certainly see some decent play.
Limited – 1
Generally Limited boards will be clogged with a ton of creatures so this certainly loses some viability but it still always removes one of your opponent’s creatures.
[card]Dying Wish[/card]
Constructed – 0
Not only is the effect rather meh, but you still need a way to kill the creature to get it’s effect.
Limited – 0
Again needing to kill the creature for this card to work is not a good idea.
[card]Gateway Shade[/card]
Constructed – 0
Not since [Card]Nantuko Shade[/Card] in Torment has a Shade been played in constructed and this won’t buck the trend.
Limited – 2
[Card]Crypt Ghast[/Card] meet mana sink! Also the gate interaction is cool.
[card]Grisly Spectacle[/card]
Constructed – 0
Seeing someone play this card would be a grisly spectacle indeed.
Limited – 2
This card doesn’t hit the keyrunes but it hits everything else. I will always be playing this and the mill is mostly irrelevant.
[card]Gutter Skulk[/card]
Constructed – 0
[Card]Grizzly Bears[/Card] are never playable.
Limited – 2
[Card]Grizzly Bears[/Card] are always playable.
[card]Illness in the Ranks[/card]
Constructed – 3
I love hate cards like this and I mean LOVE me some hate cards. Crossing my fingers for [Card]Dread of Night[/Card] coming back. As for playability this will see play in both Standard and Modern as a key sideboard card against a variety of decks.
Limited – 1
This is actually a decent sideboard card as it kills every token in the set with the exception of the Angel and Frog tokens so this is never a main deck card but a very strong sideboard card.
[card]Killing Glare[/card]
Constructed – 1
It certainly costs a decent amount to hit big creatures but it is unconditional removal which merits at least a point.
Limited – 3
This kills EVERYTHING!
[card]Lord of the Void[/card]
Constructed – 1
For one more black mana you can get a [Card]Griselbrand[/Card] which is superior to this card, also not having Trample is a negative.
Limited – 3
The mana cost is restrictive on this guy but if you can stall the game out long enough to land him, the game should soon be over, though again without trample a regenerating flier can block him all day.
[card]Ogre Slumlord[/card]
Constructed – 0
Avoid living in this slum.
Limited – 2
Being able to replaced your creatures with 1/1s isn’t fantastic but giving them deathtouch is certainly decent. Too bad [Card]Pack Rat[/Card] isn’t around.
[card]Sepulchral Primordial[/card]
Constructed – 0
This would probably get a higher rating if it was each player but since it isn’t, hoping your opponent has a good reanimation target is a bad reanimation strategy.
Limited – 2
It’s a 5/4 for 7 so it fails the vanilla test but hopefully you can find a worthwhile reanimation target across the board.
[card]Shadow Alley Denizen[/card]
Constructed – 0
I don’t understand how people can fear the streets of Ravnica with cards like these.
Limited – 1
As a last card to include I would not be hopeful about my deck, those there is a certain potential with the Intimidate.
[card]Slate Street Ruffian[/card]
Constructed – 0
Ravnica really needs to clean up the street of these bad cards.
Limited – 1
It’s like a bear but seems worse.
[card]Smog Elemental[/card]
Constructed – 0
While I love hate cards like [Card]Illness in the Ranks[/Card] that are low costed, I happen to HATE hate cards that are way too expensive thus making them irrelevant.
Limited – 1
Meh, this doesn’t inspire confidence though I can see it being played.
[card]Undercity Informer[/card]
Constructed – 0
Please inform this rogue his services will not be required.
Limited – 1
While milling is far more potent in limited than constructed, having to sacrifice a creature for an undetermined effect is a liability.
[card]Wight of Precinct Six[/card]
Constructed – 1
I’m a fan of this card. Now for the ridiculous comparison of the set review, this card is a better [Card]Tarmogoyf[/Card]. Let that sink in.
Limited – 3
This is only okay early on but is a house later in the game.
* * * * * * *
Red
[card]Act of Treason[/card]
Constructed – 0
So this costs one less than [Card]Traitorous Blood[/Card].
Limited – 1
This allows the limited format to have at least one [Card]Threaten[/Card] spell in the format.
[card]Cinder Elemental[/card]
Constructed – 0
Yeah, [Card]Fireball[/Card] on a creature!!
Limited – 2
FIREBALL!!!
[card]Crackling Perimeter[/card]
Constructed – 0
I would pass on the gate deck in Constructed.
Limited – 1
If you have a lot of gates, I wouldn’t fault someone for playing this.
[card]Ember Beast[/card]
Constructed – 0
I’ve once played [Card]Mogg Flunkies[/Card] in Constructed. It was around the time Mirage was still in Standard.
Limited – 2
A slighter bigger on the back end Flunkies is still always playable.
[card]Five-Alarm Fire[/card]
Constructed – 0
While the effect seems nice it is too slow for what most red decks are trying to accomplish.
Limited – 2
This says combat damage to anything, meaning throwing your creatures to the fire can have beneficial effects making this a real card.
[card]Foundry Street Denizen[/card]
Constructed – 0
On the bright side, there is only one more sigh to come with the Green card.
Limited – 0
1/1 for ones are unplayable.
[card]Furious Resistance[/card]
Constructed – 0
Resist the urge to play this.
Limited – 1
While it would be nice if this could be used on the aggressive side it will always kill one of your opponents creatures.
[card]Hellkite Tyrant[/card]
Constructed – 1
The win condition is the most preposterous of any alternate win condition ever however it is still a 6/5 Flyer for 6 and gaining control of all your opponents artifacts can be very beneficial, especially since the effect does not end.
Limited – 4
It’s a bomb and the other lines of text are irrelevant, though you might get lucky and steal a keyrune.
[card]Hellraiser Goblin[/card]
Constructed – 0
Hello double edged sword.
Limited – 2
Being able to assemble an aggro deck that profits from this card should not be too hard and with Battalion cards can be downright nutty.
[card]Homing Lightning[/card]
Constructed – 0
If a token deck arises I can certainly see this being play… oh right [Card]Illness in the Ranks[/Card] exists as a card.
Limited – 2
It is removal against pretty much every deck and occasionally the bonus will kick in.
[card]Madcap Skills[/card]
Constructed – 0
People who play this do not have mad skills. In fact they have zero skills.
Limited – 2
3 power for two mana is quite good and if you have a creature with even a little evasion then it’s like a [Card]Lava Spike[/Card] with Cipher.
[card]Mark for Death[/card]
Constructed – 0
Marking anyone who plays this card may be illegal but it certainly gives you ideas.
Limited – 2
Hmm, 4 mana win the game seems very very good.
[card]Massive Raid[/card]
Constructed – 0
If you can’t afford [Card]Burn at the Stake[/Card] I guess this is an awful substitute.
Limited – 2
The fact that this acts as other removal or burn to the face is not only awesome but potentially game winning.
[card]Molten Primordial[/card]
Constructed – 0
Hello [card]Zealous Conscripts[/card]. Yes, you’re still in Standard, good I’ll tell this guy to cool off somewhere else.
Limited – 2
Take their best guy, win the game. Seems like a good strategy. The mana cost is again the most restrictive part like the rest of the cycle but unlike the others, he and his effect have an immediate impact.
[card]Mugging[/card]
Constructed – 0
I’m not encouraging muggings but if someone plays this card…
Limited – 2
Again removal is a good and occasional the second ability will win you the game.
[card]Ripscale Predator[/card]
Constructed – 0
I actually spent two minutes trying to think of a pun for this. Ripped my mind to shreds and still couldn’t think of anything.
Limited – 2
Dinosaurs with a positive.
[card]Skullcrack[/card]
Constructed – 2
In Modern this replaces [Card]Flames of the Bloodhand[/Card] and is main deck playable. In Standard I suspect it is also main deck playable as an answer to life gain like [Card]Thragtusk[/Card] and [Card]Sphinx’s Revelation[/Card].
Limited – 1
I suspect playing this main deck would be acceptable and at worse it is certainly a card that will see a decent amount of sideboard play.
[card]Structural Collapse[/card]
Constructed – 0
This card has three irrelevant abilities on it at the cost of a ridiculous six mana.
Limited – 0
These modes are even more irrelevant in Limited.
[card]Tin Street Market[/card]
Constructed – 0
Just no.
Limited – 0
I know what you’re thinking, that looting is awesome but looting when it requires five mana and an extra land to use the turn it comes into play, pass.
* * * * * * *
That wraps up part two of my set review. Once again, thanks for reading and check back later for part three: Green/Artifact/Land. You should also check out the Horde of Notions Podcast, sponsored by Face to Face Games, on MTGCast.
William