Rivals of Ixalan Limited Set Review: Black

I was going to make a racially insensitive pun but decided against it. 0.0 to 5.0 scale. 0.0 bad. 5.0 good.

White
Blue

Rating: 2.0

I'm actually usually a pretty big fan of Mind Rot in limited, but the restrictive cost turns me off of this card a little bit. The life loss is a nice bonus, but decks that play Mind Rot effects are less likely to need it. I wouldn't play this in pirate decks, for instance, but it'll probably make the cut in Vampire or controlling decks.

Rating: 1.0

This pile of stats with no relevant tribe is not something most decks are in the market for. 5/3 in particular is a pretty miserable statline for 5 mana since it will pretty routinely trade for 3 drops and without trample or anything there's no reason to attack into anything. You may want this if you're in a really aggressive black deck and just want a top end dude, but even then this is a stretch.

Rating: 4.0

This card triggering off itself already makes it a good playable, but if you have any other vampires sitting around it starts to border on insane value. There is of course the downside of potentiall losing a ton of life if you're behind, but drawing cards is the best way to make you not behind, so it's a risk well worth taking.

Rating: 1.5

Preemptive removal at this cost is just not where I want to be in the midgame. 1 for 1 removing the next card they were planning to play is fine, but never good. I'd rather play the mind rot effect for the most part, since it has a higher ceiling.

Rating: 1.0

This essentially lets you draw cards equal to the power of the creature that died, but the problem is you're spending a card slot and likely a chunk of your turn on this effect that may or may not give you value. It is some awesome value, but the fact it doesn't actually do anything on its on and needs to be comboed with removal makes me hesitant to play it.

Rating: 2.5

Bear in a color that doesn't usually get bears? Check.

Relevant tribe? Check. 

Super flavorful ability that will randomly stonewall giant dinosaurs with a two drop? Check.

We've got ourselves a solid playable here folks.

Rating: 3.5

Ambush Viper on steroids has some nutty blowout potential, and worst case is a two drop with a relevant combat keyword. The best part about this card is it can be flashed in as a cheap trick both on offense, buffing another dude, and on defense, killing something itself. This is a great addition to any black deck, no matter how many pirates you have.

Rating: 2.0

Hill Giant is pretty bad, but not terrible and would probably make the cut in a decent amount of decks that need filler. This becomes pretty bulky and will win most combats later in the game, so for a vanilla 4 drop it gets a little better. From watching the LRR Pre-Prerelease, most decks did get ascend online eventually, so this card is fine in the midgame and a pretty good topdeck late.

Rating: 3.0

Elvish Visionary is never a card you're unhappy to play in a limited deck, and this card, despite the one life downside, is in a tribe that is extremely releavant in this set. Fine early, fine topdeck late, play this card in every deck and be satisfied with it.

Rating: 2.5

With the amount of bears with upside we've been getting lately it seems kinda crazy the hoops we have to jump through to play Centaur Courser. 3/3s are significantly better than 3/2s or 2/3s, but most slower decks aren't necessarily in the market for this. The downside is nice to nullify but doesn't radically change the playability of the card. This card is at its best in aggressive pirate decks, and is fine filler in other black decks.

Rating: 2.5

I don't like this card as much as the merfolk or vampire tutors because there seem to be fewer build around pirates than other tribes; pirates seem like less a synergistic tribe and more a tempo deck with efficient and evasive creatures that may or may not play well together. You'd still play this in pirate decks because it will get to your best card, and the life loss can be relevant if you're leaning aggressive, but in the tutor cycle this is one of the less powerful ones.

Rating: 3.0

This kind of effect seems pretty good in a tribal focused set where there will probably be a lot of weenies running around. The potential for ascend is nice, but the nice thing with this card is you can swing in to force blocks then play this second main to get full value, so it's fine without the city's blessing, and even better with it. Having a pseudo-reset button is always nice even if you are aggressive just as a back up plan, so I'd consider this in pirate decks and almost always play it in the vampire decks where ascend is a big payoff.

Rating: 1.0

Despite my love for Savannah Lions, 2/1s for 1 are just not that great in limited, and this is even worse than that since it can't block profitably against 2 drops. I'd cut this from everything except all in aggro B/R pirates.

Rating: 1.0

I could maybe see playing this is a finisher in the go wide vampire decks, but the fact of the matter is this card does nothing pretty often since it's only relevant if you're killing your opponent. It is probably nutso in 2 headed giant though, so be on the lookout for that.

Rating: 3.5

Unconditionally killing things for 4 is about as good as it gets at common. I'd always be happy to play this in multiples, especially in slower decks.

Rating: 0.5

Tutors are just not worth the card slot in limited on the whole. Unless you have some kind of super bomb that you absolutely need in a certain scenario, and have the mana to play it that turn, this card seems unplayable. Even to hit sideboard silver bullets, I wouldn't want to pay 4 for this effect.

Rating: 2.5

A 5 mana 3/3 flyer is unexciting for 5, but fine in a lot of scenarios. It quickly becomes must remove for your opponent if you have the city's blessing, which makes this card a lightning rod for removal the turn you play it. This is a double edged sword as it protects your other dudes from removal but it can set you behind if you aren't already ahead. With all these factors considered, I'd probably play this in most decks, although I don't think it's as great as its potential suggests.

Rating 3.0

There's a lot worse you can do for 2 mana, and I'm happy killing most 2 drops and even some 3 and 4 drops for two mana, with even some life to boot. Instant speed makes this a solid combat trick too, saving a creature from a trade or bringing a big blocker into kill range. This is pretty decent, if unexciting, in basically every deck.

Rating: 3.0

This is actually a pretty cool late game value engine if you have life gain synergy cards, and the fact it enters as a bear with a relevant tribe makes me not completely averse to playing it early. Entering tapped means you can't block indefinitely with it in the late game, which would make the card absurd, but the low opportunity cost makes me happy to play this in vampire decks.

Rating: 1.0

I'm usually high on defensively statted value creatures, but a 4 drop with almost completely ineffectual stats is pushing it. The ability is nice for slow decks or ramp decks, but doesn't fit very well into pirates, and the stats are very bad for 4 mana. I'd usually pass on this guy. 

Rating: 4.0

Oof. Well this card is nuts. The effect is so flexible and so good at every point in the game that it's pretty easy to look past the casting cost, lack of relevant tribe, and stats. Impale may be the best common in the whole set, so obviously if you staple a 2/2 on top of it it gets even better. This card is very good in every archetype and you should be happy to first pick it.

Rating: 3.5

The instant speed here makes this really flexible removal, that may not remove your opponent's bomb but will always do the trick on their early and midgame creatures. Another removal spell you're happy to play in any deck.

Rating: 2.0

As mentioned before, I do love myself a good Divination, and this does an admirable impersonation. It will likely be better than straight drawing 2 in the late game, but in the early game is usually worse, making it a pretty hit or miss card. This is awesome in a slow deck with a couple good finishers, but 

I'd probably avoid it in pirates, especially with March of the Drowned still going around.

Rating: 3.5

I'm happy playing 4 mana for this card, so the fact it's pretty often getting played for 3 is crazy. It's a 4 point life swing every turn and plays well with the lifegain subtheme in vampire decks, not to mention any buffs you can put on it.

Rating: 4.5

Holy bomb rare. This card is cheaper than the elder dinosaurs we've seen so far, and has a super relevant, super flavorful ETB ability that can be used as a mana sink in the turns up to turn 6 where you inevitably slam this card and kill at least 1 thing. A 6 mana 6/6 deathtoucher is already a pretty great finisher, but unconditionally destroying creatures on ETB makes it super hard to beat if it resolves. This card is probably going to suck to play against since your opponent shows it to you and you just know you're probably going to lose the game unless you can hold up countermagic, which is the best counter to this card.

Rating: 3.0

I'm a fan of this card. For 1 mana, you get to pseudo-loot as much as you want, which either draws you cards or buffs the
Tomb Robber. If you can stick two counters on this, it becomes a pretty big evasive threat, and it even has pirates synergy. I'd play this in basically every deck, even if it is a little slow.

Rating: 4.5

Yet another bomb in black. Even looking at the fail case, a 4 mana 2/4 flying vampire, I'm happy to play this card. But if you have the city's blessing, it becomes something absolutely ridiculous, drawing you an additional card every turn and likely providing a decent life swing. I don't see how you can beat this card in a long game, and it's statted well enough that you can play it on curve and reasonably expect to get to the late game where this card can single handedly carry a game.

Rating: 2.0

While aggressively statted, this card is filler in most decks. Tempo pirate decks will probably play this as a beater, and vampire decks will be fine playing this with synergies, but neither are particularly happy about it. For every time this does carry a game and get in for a bunch of damage, it will also just die to random pings or not be able to attack into smaller fliers, making it not worth it too often to reliably be good, but this is a fine playable.

 Rating: 3.5

This card's "front half" is a pretty decent removal spell, an 3 mana Diabolic Edict is more than playable in limited. However, if you're playing the long game this can turn into a 2 or 3 for 1, swinging a board stall to your favor. I'd never cut this.

Rating: 2.5

This card is a pretty decent payoff piece in an aggressive leaning vampires deck. It'll help win a combat or get in some chip damage in the early game and it's a fine topdeck since it gives something evasion for a turn and is hard to block itself. If you're in the vampires deck, this is probably a card you want.

So there we have it, the black cards. I must say, I'm looking forward to playing vampires, as they seem to be getting a lot of support this set between black and white. Overall, black gets some good removal at common, a cantripping creature, and two of the biggest bombs in the set. The overall creature quality in black doesn't seem to be great, so I'll probably be looking to use it as more of a supporting color for removal and synergy. Sorry for slacking on these the last couple days, but I finished building my computer so I've been fooling around with streaming and recording. Expect some stuff on my twitch channel and youtube channel soon, I promise. 

Top 5 Black Commons:

1. Impale

2. Moment of Craving

3. Dusk Legion Zealot

4. Fathom Fleet Boarder

5. Voracious Vampire