Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Set Review - White (and Colorless)
Both Jamie and TJ are using a rating scale of 10 for this set. Jamie is basing hers on limited play, while TJ is giving more of a holistic rating. Melvin is just being Melvin.
Other Colors
ADaptive shimmerer
Jamie: 3/10 3/3 flash for 5 isn't exciting, but maybe there are some fun shenanigans to be had here.
TJ: 5/10 A safe but unexciting pick. It can go into any deck to fill out the creature slots. flash means that you can represent a 5 mana and don't need to commit to this card until the end of your opponents turn. The nice part about +1/+1 counters is that if you mutate onto this creature you can keep the counters but pick the larger base stats. so I think this card is better than it looks if you can mutate onto it
Melvin: I wish it had flying, but I won't be bugged by that.
Farfinder
Jamie: 8/10 will want to pick this up early... lots of 3 color decks and fixing will be important. PLUS OMG THE CUTEST THING EVER.
TJ: 7/10. skittering surveyor was a top pick in Dominaria, even without the historic synergy I think this card will be a high priority pick to smooth out draws and develop mana in a 3 color set.
Melvin: What does the fox find?
mysterious egg
Jamie: 4/10 adding a counter every time mutate seems good? but such a smol bean.
TJ: 4/10 a one mana creature that doesn't get outclassed immediately is pretty decent as long as you have enough mutate cards. But I would hate to draw this late in the game when I'm at a board stall.
Melvin: I prefer my mysterious eggs filled with peanut butter or whatever they put in Cadbury's
blade banish
Jamie: 6/10 decent removal... there will be lots of targets for this with all the big monsters! Splashable, and exile are attractive
TJ: 6/10 conditional removal always makes me nervous but in this set it may be worth it, especially in games 2 and 3 once you see what monsters they have. the card is good as long as you have a target for it, but I wouldn't play too many copies for fear of dying to their wave of 3/3s.
Melvin: I saw this trick in Vegas, but the monster was in a box. Also I think the monster was Teller.
Checkpoint officer
Jamie: 6/10 tapping big ol monsters seems crucial for human decks. Tappers are so annoying!
TJ: 5/10 paying two mana for the effect is a bit high while still trying to develop your board. but in the late game this card will shine to keep their largest creature at bay.
Melvin: Much more exciting than PowerPoint Officer.
coordinated charge
Jamie: 4/10 human go wide strategies will want 1-2 of these and being able to cycle it away when not needed is great.
TJ: 5/10 this card is always excellent when it's an instant in the wide aggro decks. best part is that it has cycling so you won't end up with too many of these in hand while looking for creatures or lands. if you are the aggro deck. this is excellent. if not, meh.
Melvin: When you and your BAE both plug in your phones at the same outlet.
cubwarden
Jamie: 7.5/10 super strong mutate ability, creature has great stats on its own.
TJ: 8/10 doesn't die to divine arrow or blade banish, mutates exceptionally well, is a brick wall that gains life. and is splashable. excellent card.
Melvin: With kittens like these, you always have to keep an eye out for their paws.
daysquad marshsal
Jamie: 5/10 decent stats for the cost, strong filler, wanted for go-wide decks.
TJ: 5/10 four power for four mana across two creatures. solid. and both creatures are human which is important with the human synergies.
Melvin: You could say being up before 11:00 AM is my #DaysquadGoals.
divine arrow
Jamie: 6/10 cheap removal is always nice!
TJ: 4/10 I don't generally like removal that is dependent on the desired target entering combat. especially for aggro decks this card requires that your opponent blocks you before you can use it. but it's really cheap and can help buy some time against a fast start or to combine to take down a big baddie.
Melvin: That monster is going to have such tummy troubles later.
drannith healer
Jamie: 5/10 bear with upside... love that you can cycle it away late game.
TJ: 6/10 human synergies, really cheap cycle, and a bit of life gain that will help with grinding. seems solid.
Melvin: It's not a purse, it's a satchel!
drannith Magistrate
Jamie: 2/10 more for constructed?? how many graveyard shenanigans are in this set?
TJ: 3/10 its a 1/3 human for two. neat. I don't expect it's text will matter much in limited. In constructed this card is nice but may not be better than existing silver bullets outside of Standard.
Melvin: How does Jonathon Frakes get his own card before Patrick Stewart???
fight as one
Jamie: 7/10 blowout potential for removal or a powerful combat trick for 1 mana.
TJ: 7/10 being able to blank removal, combine creatures to take down a large one, or get an extra boost of power when needed is solid. if you have both creature type this is amazing, if you only have one target then it's solid.
Melvin: Accidentally read it as "Fart as One". Laughed for ten minutes.
flourishing fox
Jamie: 4/10 not sure if able to get enough cycling for this to be worth building around. But that's a dang cutie!
TJ: 6/10 If it's in your opening hand its a creature that will get huge for minimal investment, if you draw it late you can cycle it away for only a single mana. this card is good at every stage of the game for only one mana.
Melvin: Good filler card. Could be an All Purpose Flourishing Fox for your Standard recipes.
garrison cat
Jamie: 3/10 filler, low to the ground aggro decks will want this, but nothing else will.
TJ: 4/10 it blocks twice and fills the curve. neat, I guess.
Melvin: Cats don't live in your house. You live in theirs.
helica glider
Jamie: 5/10 like the flexibilty of choosing first strike or flying, price is right for the stats.
TJ: 6/10 for 3 mana you get the choice of an aggressive flier if you want to apply pressure, or a first striking blocker if you need to control the battlefield. It isn't an exciting card but its really versatile to this situation you find yourself in. Both modes would be desirable on their own, and now you get to pick.
Melvin: Finally my favorite text font in squirrel form.
huntmaster liger
Jamie: 5/10 a team pump is great, but how wide will you be if monsters? Tall vs. wide...
TJ: 6/10 if the creature has mutated several times than you probably don’t have a wide board. but a +1/+1 to the team for 3 mana is pretty excellent in the both aggro decks and in a board stall.
Melvin: It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.
imposing vantasaur
Jamie: 4/10 vanilla big booty, butt sometimes that's all you need.
TJ: 4/10 I expect that it will be a one mana cycler unless you really need a creature. but cycling for one mana is fantastic if you are running a cycling synergy deck
Melvin: The dinosaur that always comes over uninvited to borrow something.
keensight mentor
Jamie: 6/10 Vigilance Tribal may be a thing
TJ: 6/10 the non humans are generally large in this set. making one that can be aggressive and defensive then also keep growing is great. and if you happen to have more vigilance in your deck then it gets even better.
Melvin: She could spot a delicious bug on her companion's back at fifty paces.
lavabrink venturer
Jamie: 5/10 not a fan of RNG factor, but 3/3 for 3 with upside is solid anyways.
TJ: 8/10 a three mana 3/3 that gets protection against half of the cards in your opponents decks is excellent. Even when it isn't an unblockable attacker it will make an incredible blocker.
Melvin: I'm glad to see Minecraft on more Magic cards.
light of hope
Jamie: 5/10 cheap, flexible combat trick with other modes in a pinch.
TJ: 5/10 much better than I would usually rate these cards but this can safely go into just about any deck as a 1-of. a combat trick that can buy time against an aggressive start or blow out a tricky enchantment is real nice.
Melvin: Not to be confused with Budweiser, Light of Hops.
luminous broodmoth
Jamie: 8/10 3/4 flyer for 4 already good value. Will make combat tricky.
TJ: 9/10 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Mothra is a straight up monster of a card. if they don’t remove this card then you'll take over the game.
Melvin: It keeps running into the moon over and over. Someone get a broom.
Majestic auricorn
Jamie: 6/10 good stats, 4 life nothing to sneeze at
TJ: 5/10 its solid. a bit unexciting but it gets the job done real well and bring vigilance to the mutation.
Melvin: Riding Difficulty: Hardcore.
maned serval
Jamie: 3/10 filler but a CUTIE
TJ: 4/10 mostly seems like a mutate target. it's a decent enough blocker for two mana.
Melvin: TJ, this is maned.
mythos of snapdax
Jamie: 6/10 wrathesque with a choice... being able to cast for 3 colors makes it 8/10
TJ: 6/10-8/10 don’t forget that you have to sacrifice things as well. if you are only casting it for white mana it will mostly be an edict with occasional big upside, if you can get the full card then this is an incredible removal spell that can get through hexproof.
Melvin: Waiting for Mythos of Crackledax and Popdax to complete the cycle.
pacifism
Jamie: 8/10 cheap removal for big monsters will be at a premium.
TJ: 8/10 pacifism is always premium removal. if you put is on a mutate creature they can still trigger the mutate abilities, but getting rid of the biggest creature from combat is still excellent.
Melvin: I'll have what it's having.
patagia tiger
Jamie: 4/10 3/4 flyer for 5 not super into... the one time buff is just okay
TJ: 5/10 a decent flier that can occasionally boost one of your attackers for a turn. most of the time it will be a slightly inefficient flier.
Melvin: Flyger?
perimeter sergeant
Jamie: 6/10 will be important in the humans deck, teamwork!
TJ: 6/10 in the humans deck. look for a way to protect this creature because it's got a weak body. but if you can find a way to keep it alive than you'll have a repeatable anthem in the tribe that will be going the widest.
Melvin: This sergeant only scores like a 5 on the perimeter.
sanctuary lockdown
Jamie: 7/10 anthem effect strong enough, being able to tap a bunch of blockers on opp. turn is appealing!
TJ: 7/10 an anthem and a repeatable way to manage your opponents biggest and best threats? This seems like a huge payoff for the humans deck, as long as you have enough of them.
Melvin: I have a hunch this soldier wants to go back in. I do like a quasimode anthem and opposition.
savai sabertooth
Jamie: 3/10 filler, would be better as a human!
TJ: 3/10 our old friend the 3\1 for two. it fills the curve. because if its stats it will probably be better as a blocker to trade up than as an attacker to trade with a 1/1.
Melvin: The grass parts for it as easily as its hair.
snare tactician
Jamie: 6/10 perfect to get things out of the way to smack in with the team!
TJ: 6/10 solid on it's own and able to tap down threats while digging through your deck to keep up the pressure? seems excellent and is able to be used at instant speed so you could even control some blockers that get flashed in.
Melvin: With cycling, maybe you can use the Snare Tactician to drum up a good attack. I'm going to go bongos with it.
solid footing
Jamie: 4/10 filler, could be interesting in a vigilance butts deck. I SAID BUTTS!
TJ: 5/10 the bottom line of text implies that you should always but it on a vigilance creature. but as a flash combat trick that keeps the buff this is still decent. and if you happen to have the imposing vantasaur you'll feel like a combo player.
Melvin: Glad to see Final Fantasy VII artwork in a Magic card.
splendor mare
Jamie: 8/10 being able to gift lifelink and draw a card is AWESOME. great early too.
TJ: 8/10 a three mana 3/3 with lifelink is really good on it's own. being able to cycle it to give your best creature lifelink and draw a card is even better.
Melvin: It could wear so many hats! I’m jealous.
spontaneous flight
Jamie: 8/10 combat trick plus permanent flying. Sign me up.
TJ: 7/10 riding the dulu horse is back! this time it's flying but it's still a powerful trick. remember that this is an instant so you can even use it defensively.
Melvin: My spontaneous flights usually involve trips the Easter candy in my kitchen at around 3:00 AM.
stormwild capridor
Jamie: 5/10 is this the body you should mutate onto? Flyer, can't be killed by non-combat damage, but can be pacified. Card weirds me out a bit.
TJ: 6/10 a medium creature most of the time. but it makes a stupid good target for those divine arrows that are trapped in your hand. if you have any cards that can grow this then it can get out of hand fast. the nice part is that you can keep it out of combat until you are ready and not worry about a blowout unless they have a hard removal spell.
Melvin: Capridor is a semi-hard Italian cheese originating from Sardinia. also it’s a bird-goat.
swallow whole
Jamie: 8/10 this will be awesome to get rid of big ol monsters. Cheap removal, and leaves behind a counter. I dig it.
TJ: 4/10 its a good removal spell in a pinch. but it's a sorcery so it needs to have already attacked you, and it also needs to not have vigilance. its really good when it's good, but also very conditional.
Melvin: Look how fast that guy’s going. What do you suppose is the air speed velocity of that swallow?
valiant rescuer
Jamie: 5/10 not sure will get enough cycling in human deck for this to be worth it, but decent filler anyways.
TJ: 6/10 fragile, but powerful. turn the cycles into creatures on board. and even has cycling itself for when you need something else.
Melvin: Bernard saves Miss Bianca once again.
vulpikeet
Jamie: 6/10 mutate cost appealing, decent body! slow to build though.
TJ: 7/10 when using the mutate ability its three mana for at least a 3/4 flier. seems great.
Melvin: Please stop asking it to do a barrel roll just because it’s a flying fox.
will of the all-hunter
Jamie: 6/10 flexible combat trick, cool that it's better for defense.
TJ: 5/10 really at it's best if it's blocking, if this card didn't have cycling I'd like it a lot less.
Melvin: Hey, he still had four more payments on that shield!
