Cards to look out for: Return to Ravnica
As with any set, there are certain cards to look out for in Return to Ravnica, with some being powerful cards for Standard, and worth some money, and with some powerful cards for Limited. I'll begin with the Constructed playables, or money cards.
It goes without saying that these are incredibly powerful in Draft.
It goes without saying that these are incredibly powerful in Draft.
Ah, Jace Beleren, one of the most iconic, beloved, powerful, and hated figures of Magic: The Gathering. Most iconic in his Worldwake edition (Jace, the Mind Sculptor), he is now present again in Return to Ravnica. His +1 protects him well from little attacks, and his -2 is a mini Fact or Fiction, netting you exactly what you need out of the top 3 cards of your deck.
Price: $15
Price: $15
A clean removal spell for almost anything, and especially popular in the format Modern, Abrupt Decay is an uncounterable answer to anything that costs 3 mana or less. Which can be everything in Modern, but also very useful for Standard.
Price: $6
Price: $6
One of Blue/White's only ways of mimicking perfect removal, Detention Sphere can get some real value by removing a creature and all its brethren. Your opponent have 2 large Angels they're beating you down with? If they're the same name, REMOVE THEM ALL.
Price: $3
Price: $3
In the post about drafting tips, I mentioned the vanilla test, and how some creatures are AT the power curve as a 4 mana 4/4. Well, here's Loxodon Smiter, a 3 mana 4/4 WITH UPSIDE. He's insane value, and if you can slap him down turn 3, he can beat face really quickly, and is difficult to stop outside just killing him with a spell. I like smashing things.
Price: $4
Price: $4
When X = 1, it's not the most impressive spell. 3 mana to remove 1 card from my opponent's hand and deal them 1 damage? I'll pass. But when you hit late game, and you have 7 mana open, and your opponent has a hand full of answers...things get fun.
Pay 7 mana, deal 5 to the opponent and empty his hand? GOOD DEAL FOR ME.
Price: $5
Pay 7 mana, deal 5 to the opponent and empty his hand? GOOD DEAL FOR ME.
Price: $5
THE money card of the set, Sphinx's Revelation is an insane card for Blue/White decks, because of one simple word: Instant. A Blue/White player tends to leave untapped mana going into their opponent's turn to respond with counterspells and other Instant effects. If you don't respond to anything, pay all your mana at the end of your opponent's turn, gain 4 life, and draw 4 cards. That's insane advantage right there.
Price: $20
Price: $20
Supreme Verdict. My favorite card art of the set. There, I said it. It's actually the background of my computer screen. But back to the card. It's a board wiper, and an insane one at that. At only 4 mana, and being uncounterable, it stops any sort of aggressive deck from overwhelming you with creatures, clearing the board and beginning anew. Using this one card, you can take care of 3, 4, even 5 creatures.
Plus, look at that art.
So good.
Price: $5
Plus, look at that art.
So good.
Price: $5
This guy. THIS guy. Deathrite Shaman does it all.
Have land in your graveyard from cards like Scalding Tarn and Evolving Wilds? Turn it into mana.
Have dead creatures or creatures you don't want your opponent to bring back? Turn it into life.
Struggling to deal those last few points of damage? Just exile all your Instants and Sorceries and drop your opponent to zero, two life at a time.
Price: $15
Have land in your graveyard from cards like Scalding Tarn and Evolving Wilds? Turn it into mana.
Have dead creatures or creatures you don't want your opponent to bring back? Turn it into life.
Struggling to deal those last few points of damage? Just exile all your Instants and Sorceries and drop your opponent to zero, two life at a time.
Price: $15
Disclaimer: Though the picture may look like Steam Vents, I am actually talking about 5 lands here that have been nicknamed ShockLands, named as such because they have the downside of dealing two damage to you (see card: Shock) if you want to play them untapped. They are THE most fluid cards to move in the Magic: The Gathering Market, and are incredibly good. They provide fixing for your mana, at almost no cost. And having that choice of them entering tapped or not just provides you with so much more control and options.
The 5 lands are, in no particular order: Temple Garden, Steam Vents, Overgrown Tomb, Hallowed Fountain, and Blood Crypt.
Price: Blood Crypt at $8 to Temple Garden at $11, with the other 3 falling somewhere in between.
The 5 lands are, in no particular order: Temple Garden, Steam Vents, Overgrown Tomb, Hallowed Fountain, and Blood Crypt.
Price: Blood Crypt at $8 to Temple Garden at $11, with the other 3 falling somewhere in between.