Fate Reforged Pre-release Primer

Hello my fellow planeswalkers, Josh Kreiter here with WizardDen.com. Pre-Orders for Fate Reforged are now up!

Also, if you are in our local area, you can see our pre-release schedule and giveaways Here.

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Today I'll be bringing you some information on a very exciting topic: the Fate Reforged Pre-release. One thing I do for myself whenever a new set comes out is review each card from a limited view point to get ready for the always fun Pre-Release weekend and today I'll be sharing my review with you! I'll be giving a shortened version for sake of time and I apologize in advance, this will be a bit of a lengthy one.

When reviewing a set I try to avoid putting a number on a card as that number greatly fluctuates depending on the type of pool you have. Instead I will rank my top three uncommons and top five commons of each color and touch briefly on artifacts and multi-colored cards. Before we dive in, keep in mind that your pre-release pool will consist of four packs of Fate Reforged, one pack of Khans of Tarkir and a seeded pack which will consist primarily on cards from your chosen clan. This means a majority of your pool will consist of Fate Reforged and hopefully, a lot of the following cards!

Now that we know a little more about what we will be opening on Saturday, let's take a look at what we'll want to open, I'll start with the uncommons then commons of that color. Let's start with a very exciting color: White.

My number one choice of uncommon I'll be looking for if I am in white is Valorous Stance. This card is very versatile and can help support you no matter what your color combination may be. Being able to turn a sub-par block into a blowout when blocking or attacking is huge in limited and if nothing else, should be a card you try to carefully play around this weekend. I would probably play up to three copies of the card as it will be somewhat limited removal at it's best and an excellent combat trick at it's worst.

My second choice in uncommon is one of a cycle that you will probably see all five cards of the cycle in this list. Wardscale Dragon is a great creature and just what you are looking for in a closer. Great cards like Sandblast and Channel Harm rely on your opponent attacking, something the dragon shuts down as soon as he turns sideways. The mana cost is a little steep so I wouldn't look to play more than one. I do believe, however, that a lot of games will be won (literally) on the backs of dragons. 

Speaking of Channel Harm, this gets my number three spot, and it could easily be debated for the two or even the one spot. Channel Harm is a phenomenal card that I would be more than happy to put in any white deck. I had to read the card twice to make sure I wasn't crazy. Picture if you will, your opponent has four bears and their bomb, I don't know let's say... Atarka, World Render. You have four bears and are starting to look behind. You go in to combat and attack with all four bears. Your opponent may be willing to trade the four bears for four bears as they still have dominant position of the board. Channel Harm says no to that as you can prevent all damage dealt to your bears and kill the Atarka. This is a HUGE tempo advantage. the above example is a five for one for only six mana. This really is an insane card, however, it's mana cost might make me leery of playing more than two copies, even in a slower format like sealed. 

On to the commons for white. There are quite a few very high quality commons in white. The card that peaked my interest the most from a limited sense is Sandblast. There aren't a lot of removal spells in white and Sandblast is very welcomed as it is able to kill the uncommon dragon cycle which I feel will be very critical in this format.

My second choice at common is Abzan Skycaptain. This card seems a little underwhelming at first but thinking on it a bit more I realized that he is a 2/2 in the air. This is something your opponent will eventually have to stop and when they inevitably do, you get an excellent buff if you have another creature on board which is a very real possibility in sealed. 

My third choice goes to Dragon Bell Monk. Again, a bit of an underwhelming card but as we see both in standard and KTK limited, Prowess is a very good mechanic. The fact that the Monk has vigilance means he will be serving double duty as long as you can keep mana up to represent a trick. This card should be able to help you dominate combat on your turn or your opponents.

My fourth choice of a good common in white is Sandsteppe Outcast. This card is good in that it gives you options meaning there's flexibility involved. It won't be able to flex as far as a rubber band but being able to choose between one 3/2 or a 2/1 and a 1/1 that flies is still quite good. I would imagine getting the flier is going to be the primary mode, but I can see there being situations where the 3/2 is just what you need.

My fifth choice was a bit tough and depending on your deck I think there are two options that are about the same in power level. If you have a ton of great creatures or a deck that has a lot of prowess in it, Soul Summons should do the trick. Being able to put one of your best creatures in to play morphed at two mana is nothing to be scoffed at. Add creatures that can trigger prowess from it as well and we're looking at a card that can provide a lot of upside at the cost of two mana. The other card I could see in this spot is a little bit narrow but could be the all star of the right deck. Aven Skirmisher is a little baby 1/1 for W that flies. The part of him that makes me think he has potential is the fact that he is a warrior. Turn one Aven Skirmisher into a Chief of the Edge is probably going to make for a bad time for whoever sits across from you. Add Trumpet Blast to the mix as well as the other anthem effects found in this set and Aven Skirmisher has the potential to close out games for you. 

On to blue, which has some of the best cards for limited.

My first choice for a card at uncommon is one that I feel could be in contention for the best uncommon in the set. Cloudform is nuts. Like the stone cold freaking nuts. For three mana you guarantee a 2/2 flying, hexproof creature (barring a counter spell). In the event you manifest a creature with this card it is almost good game. even something like a 3/3 now becomes an unbeatable force in the air. This card is one I'll be keeping a very close eye out for in my pool. 

My second choice is also a very excellent card in limited. Marang River Prowler is going to win someone who reads this at least one game at your pre-release. His can't block clause is somewhat irrelevant with how aggressive a creature he is. Having a creature that can't be blocked is huge in this format. Give him that ability alone and I will still jam as many copies as I can get my hands on. This guy just keeps on giving though as long as you are in black or green. If your opponent does find a way to deal with this problem child he'll be coming right back with a vengeance. This card is great because it (almost) single handed will win you the game.

My third choice should come as no surprise. Mindscour Dragon is a pretty awesome card and is definitely the most versatile of the dragon cycle. If you have quite a few delve cards to expel there is a good chance you are going to self mill a lot of the time. This may have some downside but with cards like Fearsome Awakening and Sibsig Muckdraggers to support milling yourself, you are really just getting better card selection. If the game goes long and you draw the Dragon late, you also have a very hard to deal with alternate win condition, the same can be true if your opponent is in a color that doesn't play delve and also lacks removal. Keep in mind that even if your opponent is on the draw and you play the dragon on curve he has to remain for another 6 turns to mill your opponent at which point they will already be dead to the dragon. I recommend the self mill plan unless you draw the dragon quite late in the game. 

On to the blue commons in Fate Reforged, which, like the uncommons aren't lacking in very powerful spells.  My first choice is a very powerful tempo card that will work great in any deck but really shines when prowess is put in the mix. Whisk Away is a very powerful card that compares very well to Griptide, a card that saw a ton of limited play during Theros block limited. This card is better then Griptide thanks to it's lower mana cost and the fact that Fate Reforged introduces a lot of aura's, many of which that are playable. This already good card becomes great when you can bin the powerful aura and put a sub-par creature on top of their deck to prevent drawing in to outs or a positive board position.

My second choice at the common slot is Aven Surveyor. This card isn't overwhelming but I really have a soft spot for versatile cards in limited. The ability to make a 3/3 flier is very relevant with a lot of fliers coming in at 2/3 or lower. Being able to bounce a creature can also be advantageous. You can bounce a creature with a strong enters the battlefield effect on your side or one of your opponents clunky creature to make the game awkward for your opponent. I've mentioned the abundance of strong auras in this set and being able to bounce a creature to kill the aura is a very strong swing in your favor.

My third choice seems a bit underwhelming at first glance but I can't stress enough the power of the Prowess mechanic. Lotus Path Djinn is a very strong common. There are far worse things you could be doing with four mana then getting a 2/3 flier. Give it an upside and there is a card you are excited to be playing. Lotus Path Djinn does just that and has great potential to earn the nickname "dragonslayer". One Aura can put him out of range of all of the dragons in the uncommon cycle and can make your turn four and five plays a nightmare for your opponent.

Coming in at number four is Will of the Naga. This is a pretty awesome finisher that can set up for some devastating combats. Frost tapping creatures has been a played mechanic in limited for the last few years and getting two creatures at the potential cost of two mana is about as efficient as you can get. I expect many games to end with an end of turn frost tap to swing lethal the following turn or potentially two turns out. 

The five spot for blue was a tough choice. Refocus, Jeskai Sage, and Write into Being were all up for the spot and I think there is argument between Refocus and Write into Being with Jeskai Sage coming very close as well. My vote goes to Refocus though as I can't stress the power of Prowess enough. This card targeting a prowess creature on your board is going to feel really, really good seeing as for two mana you've created a blow out situation. Oh and did I mention it draws you a card as well. Pretty powerful combat trick at common. Write into Being wants a rather specific, slow creature deck and while I'm sure the deck exists for it, isn't something I'm excited to jam into every Blue deck. Jeskai Sage, on the other hand, is something I am very excited to put in my blue decks. I wouldn't play more than 2-3 personally but the fact that he can be a threat due to prowess and draws you a card in the worst case scenario of dying makes him a very efficient creature for blue.

On to black which is, in my opinion, one of the weaker colors in Fate Reforged. My number one pick for black at Uncommon is Sibsig Muckdraggers. This card packs a very high casting cost but even delving 3-4 cards is acceptable with his effect. Of course you'll want to be sure to keep the creature you want back in the bin but in doing so you get a very big butt on the ground that your opponent will have a hard time attacking through as well as your best creature back in hand from the bin. This will create a very big swing in your favor.

My second choice is Noxious Dragon. This dragon doesn't have quite the advantage as it's white or blue counterpart we have reviewed but what it lacks in a "whenever this creature attacks" effect it makes up for by taking away all of your opponents incentive to try to kill it. Dealing with the dragon comes at the hefty cost of killing off a creature with converted mana cost three or less. Keep in mind the destroy ability is a may so your opponent can't two for one you by removing the dragon while they are on an empty board. 

My third choice is another reanimator type of effect. Fearsome Awakening is going to be doing some serious work this weekend. I must say I wish you could also target your opponents graveyard with the card but buying back the best creature your opponent removed or one that you have milled is a very real effect. It is rare you will be able to return a dragon. However, if you pull it off you will be quite pleased with the end result. 

The commons in black are much stronger than the uncommons from a limited stand point. Of the exciting black commons my favorite has to be Reach of Shadows. This is the premium limited removal spell of the set. There are only two to three colorless creatures that will see play in the set and they gain a lot of value thanks to this card. For everything else, from pesky dragons to bomby mythics, this card is going to do the trick.

I wrestled a lot between one and two with the black commons and in a close race the second place finisher is Hooded Assassin. This card is great in an aggressive shell where you are suiciding your team in every turn to maximize damage. This card is also a great way to beat through some of the /6+ creatures in the set as most of them have a low power allowing your attacker to survive after hitting the wall only for your opponent to have their creature removed post combat. Witch's Familiar was a fine card in M15, giving him an upside makes me think Hooded Assassin will be welcomed with open arms to black decks this weekend.

Coming in at number three is another card with great upside potential. Sultai Emissary is a pretty cool defensive creature, he can soak up an attack and leave you with slight card advantage and a bigger body in his place. If you Manifest a creature the upside is tremendous and even if not there is a lot of value in the 2/2 token this guy leaves behind.

Number four is another form of death for Black. Douse in Gloom is a pretty solid card that does well in a world of three or more color decks. The card costs three but being able to kill a larger creature post combat or pick off a blocker while gaining life is a great thing to be doing if you are in black.

In at number five is Ancestral Vengeance. This is an interesting card that could very easily go higher up on this list. I think of the value of this card during a dragon standoff primarily but there are plenty of applications for this card. Growing your creature while simultaneously reducing the power and toughness of one of your opponents creatures (or better yet just killing it) is a very strong effect and it is for this reason I expect Ancestral Vengeance to be a big part of the limited format.

On to red which has a slew of good cards at the uncommon slot. The first uncommon in red that caught my attention is Pyrotechnics reprint. This card is kind of like a miniature Cone of Flame. I will say it doesn't pack quite the same power level in some regards (4 < 6) but it can be better than Cone of Flame as well. Hitting four 1 toughness creatures is the dream but I don't think it will ever come up. Even hitting two 2/2's is very good. The best part of this card though in comparison to Cone of Flame is you will never have to shoot one of your own creatures!!

The number two spot goes to the king of combat math cranial injuries, Shockmaw Dragon. At a glance I didn't see him as being that powerful in comparison to the other dragons but after giving it some thought, the best part of this card is it's ability to make combat math very difficult. Blocks can mean death in a lot of situations if this guy is in the skies and that is something that can become overwhelming over the course of several turns. The only thing I would change about this guy is instead having the effect "Whenever this creature attacks, other attacking creatures get +1/+0 until the end of the turn." 

Coming in at number three is Hungering Yeti. This guy requires you to also be in blue or green to be at his best but being able to flash in a 4/4 is a VERY strong ability and not one to be taken lightly. Initially, I had this spot pegged for Dragonrage which does deserve some honorable mention. The reason for it's bumping out of this list is that it is a dead draw if your board is clear. 

As far as the commons go, red is no slouch. My first pick is, in my opinion, the strongest common in the set. Lightning Shrieker is pretty awesome and is probably better than all of the uncommon dragons from a limited standpoint. He punches through for a ton of damage in the air and tramples over whatever stands in his way. After he's done bringing the heat he can dodge all of your opponents sorcery speed removal waiting somewhere in your deck to do it all again. At common there is a strong possibility of having multiple which makes this a very strong top end to an aggressive deck. 

My number two choice is also a very efficient aggressive creature, Goblin Heelcutter. In the past, the issue with aggressive decks is that your creatures are outclassed very easily. With the 'Dash' mechanic and cards like Goblin Heelcutter, this won't be an issue any more. Goblin Heelcutter gives you great turn three and four plays to push damage with whatever two drop you sneak in to play and the Heelcutter himself. I imagine a game where someone goes two drop into Dashed Heelcutter into Dashed Heelcutter into Lightning Shrieker. If that isn't a strong sequence of plays, I don't know what is.

Coming in at number three is Bathe in Dragonfire. If this card were instant it would be the number two card but even at sorcery it's just what a red deck wants: to clear out blockers.

In at number four is a very powerful combat trick in Temur Battle Rage. This card is going to win a lot of games this weekend. Some off of dragons, others off the one unblocked creature in combat but it will happen. This card is one of, if not the best combat trick in the set and definitely one you should be playing around this weekend.

Last but certainly not least of the red commons is Mardu Scout. This is the perfect two drop in an aggressive red deck in that it can come down on two with haste and still dodge sorcery speed or enchantment removal. after he's done a few points on turn two you can save him until the late game where a threat with haste can close out the game for you.

The last of the colors, green, is no slouch in game-changing commons and uncommons. My favorite of the green uncommons is Ruthless Instincts. While Ruthless Instincts may appear to be just another combat trick, it is by far the most versatile, productive cards in the color. Having two modes that are polar opposites can sometimes be problematic. This isn't the case when the opposite ends are both related to combat and the card is in the color green. Green loves to gain advantage in combat with it's already beefy creatures. Being able to turn a creature that has been laying the beats into a deathtouch reach blocker is the real deal. If that's not a good enough selling point, once your opponent does find a creature or series of creatures to finally stop your giant creatures, you can now get over the blocks by giving your creature +2/+2 and trample. This is a very versatile card that is very hard to play around with both modes. 

Speaking of Green's giant beat sticks, coming in at number two is Arashin War Beast. I'll start by saying the green dragon isn't in my top three. This is definitely the top end that green wants. Getting guys in to play if your opponent can bring themselves to block is huge. He won't trigger the manifest on defense but with no shortage of big green creatures and great colors to play with, there isn't a lot that will keep you from getting the war beast down on turn seven and starting to slowly drown your opponent in advantage.

Third on the list of the green uncommons is Temur Sabertooth. This card is fantastic. The Sabertooth will be a true nightmare this weekend as if your opponent has two creatures and four mana up with this guy on board you aren't getting rid of him. Ordinarily, this would be an alright scenario as the creature would have mediocre or decent at best stats. The Sabertooth on the other hand is a 4/3 for four with upside. Wizards definitely wanted to push the limits in this block and are doing a great job of it so far!

Moving on to the commons in green, my favorite has to be the return of Hunt the Weak. This card has always been good in green decks and I don't feel its time in Fate Reforged will be any different. Making your guy bigger while simultaneously removing one of your opponents creatures is right what you want to be doing in limited.

Coming in at number two is a seemingly unplayable card, Return to the Earth. This format is much different than limited formats in the past. For starters, every color gets a huge finisher in the form of a dragon. On top of that there are some phenomenal enchantments like Cloudform that demand an answer. There are even a few excellent artifacts and this is will get all of them. Return to the Earth is a versatile spell that I expect will be a little slow to catch on at first but once its reach is realized will be a big part of Fate Reforged Limited.

Coming in at number three is Formless Nurturing. I firmly believe that manifest is going to be a huge mechanic in this format. At worst this is a four mana 3/3. At best it is huge card advantage getting an excellent creature on board at a discounted price that can serve as a blowout if and when you decide to flip the creature. It isn't something to write home about but it is definitely a great support card that will serve purpose in any green deck. 

Number four isn't exactly overwhelming either but still a very efficient card in the form of Frontier Mastodon. A 3/2 for three isn't much to be excited for but if you draw him late with a larger creature on board a 4/3 for three mana is just what the doctor ordered. when you are getting him as a 4/3 there is a good chance you have the mana for another spell as well, making for pretty good upside.

Number five is a support card for green, Map the Wastes. This format is still designed to give incentive to playing two or more colors. With that in mind, Map the Wastes will serve an important role in helping your color fix as well as ramp into one of green's massive creatures. Not only that but it will turn a sub par creature into more of a force by giving your weakest creature a bit of a buff as well, as Map the Wastes also has Bolster 1.

Moving on to the Colorless cards. I am going to touch on three colorless cards and three multi-colored cards. Let's dive in to the Colorless!! Coming in at number one for the colorless cards is Pilgrim of the Fires. This guy is an excellent creature at the unfortunate cost of seven mana. If the format develops to be slow enough, this is a great green-esque creature that any deck can have access to.

Coming in at number two for the Colorless cards is Hewed Stone Retainers. This is a very aggressively costed creature that can only be cast if you played another spell. There are a lot of great creatures that come down early and also some great combat tricks. I imagine using a trick in combat to blow out my opponent then following it up with even more pressure in the form of Hewed Stone Retainers.

The last of the Colorless cards I would like to highlight is Ugin's Construct. This creature is going to be a 23rd card most of the time. The cost of sacrificing a permanent is no easy payment but in the right deck where you can exchange a one or two drop that is now outclassed: it may have a home.

On to the final three cards of this pre-release guide. My favorite of the multi-colored commons and uncommons is Ethereal Ambush. I've briefly talked about the importance of the Manifest mechanic throughout this article and Ethereal Ambush is at the pinnacle of this. Being able to take the top two cards of your library and turn them in to creatures is big time. If even one of those cards is a creature there is a good chance you can untap and flip the creature, netting a card in hand while also netting two creatures on the board. This card is going to be a nightmare this weekend.

The next card that caught my attention in multi-color is War Flare. This card, similar to Trumpet Blast and the countless anthems before it is going to close out a lot of games. The reason this card gets number one in my book is that this version can play both roles. If you are behind or in a close race, this is going to be your go to card to get out of a pinch if you are playing a deck that focuses on going wide on the board.

The last of the exciting multi-colored cards is Harsh Sustenance. This isn't a guaranteed removal spell, but when it does remove a creature or even drain your opponent it will feel really good having done it for only three mana. I personally won't be looking to play the colors that this card is in this weekend but if I end up there, I would be happy to have this card sleeved up and ready to go.

Thanks for checking out my review of the cards. The last thing I will leave you with is a list of what are in my opinion, the ranks of clans to choose this weekend.

1. Jeskai- Red and blue are the strongest colors in the set with white being a close third in my opinion. Add this to the great cards in Khans of Tarkir and Jeskai looks to be the go to color combination for Fate Reforged limited.

2. Sultai- Sultai is my pick if you want to play interactive, decision making magic. It has deceivingly powerful synergies that I expect will be taking matches down left and right this weekend. 

3. Mardu- Mardu may belong in the two spot but the colors get more aggressive which isn't always where you want to be in sealed. However, the power level of these aggressive cards is at an all time high. I wouldn't be too surprised to see the Mardu clan putting up good numbers during pre-release weekend.

4. Temur- I must say unless you open a stone cold bomb in these colors I don't think Temur is where you want to be. Green is kind of lacking in efficient cards and the synergies with the Red and Blue cards are minimal and those that do exist aren't on the same scale as that of Jeskai, Sultai, or Mardu.

5. Abzan- Abzan is the lowest of the clans due to the power of the colors that make up the clan. Green and Black are by far the weakest colors with white coming in third. The lack of three color spells means you can't rely on the shear power level of the gold cards to win matches.

Thanks for the read, I hope this propels you to great success at your pre-release this weekend!