Now that M13 has been drafted for a while, do you guys have any opinions on cards that were much better than you expected as well as cards that didn't quite live up to what you thought they'd be? A few I'll start out with:
Duds:
Spiked Baloth - If I had a penny for every time this guy was turned irrelevant by my opponent playing a bear or even a Goblin Arsonist, I'd have a bunch of pennies. I still play him every time I'm in green but I almost always feel bad about it.
Slumbering Dragon - For some reason I really thought this guy could get it done. I've drafted him several times, EVERY time with the red ring as well. Not once has he ever gotten to block or attack. At this point I'd much rather draft and run another Arsonist than him.
Studs:
Trumpet Blast - I thought this card looked unplayable initially... just a much crappier, more situational Rally the Peasants. Turns out that it singlehandedly makes RW or RG aggro a viable archetype that does quite well. At this point I'm actually happy to run two of them in a deck that supports it.
All of the uncommon two-color creatures in the cycle (Flinthoof Boar, Crimson Muckwader, Artic Aven, etc) - Wow, these guys are great. Virtually every one of them is very potent and none of them is a dud. You do have to be in the colors to support them but they're so efficient that it can be really sick. If one comes by in colors I am in or considering to be in, I almost always snap them up now.
Surprisingly Bad Yeva's Forcemage - I initially thought in the context of Green's fast, tempo-based decks and this seemed fine. But no, two extra damage isn't enough to make up for a 2/2 for 3. My last four Green decks have maindecked 0 copies between them. Silvercoat Lion - I fondly imagined an army of W/X bears beating down unwary control decks. In reality, vanilla 2/2s are pretty bad and White almost always has better options.
Surprisingly Good Servant of Nefarox - This looked like a trap to me. Exalted decks don't need power. But no, it actually works really well. Most of the time it's just another Exalted guy, but it can occasionally bail you out of trouble by trading with the opponent's Centaur if they get a quick start. Crippling Blight - Looked like the usual "I kill X/1s" that most sets contain. In reality, it's more like Pacifism for 1 with extra upside in terms of how it plays.
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Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
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<Limited Clan>
Duds Fungal Sprouting - I wanted this to be awesome in a deck with big green dudes but even then it's only slightly better than a Captain's Call on average. Playable but never exciting.
Grizzly Bears (Silvercoat Lion, Walking Corpse, Timberpack Wolf) - Bears really aren't that great in this format even though there's a lot of them. The best thing they do is give you some non-essential creature to beat in with a bunch of exalted triggers. Other than that they just become irrelevant far too quickly.
Volcanic Geyser - Dud here in the sense that this is way worse than it looks at first glance (though it's fine removal so you'd still always play it in red). 5 mana to kill an X/3 for example is quite inefficient and the extra mana tacked on to Fireball really does hurt the card (as well as not being able to use it as a pseudo-sweeper later on in games).
Studs Chandra's Fury - Even at 5 mana tacking on a 1 damage sweeper to Lava Axe is huge in a format with as many X/1s as this has. I treated the card as Lava Axe early on (only main it in the most aggressive decks) but after how much I was siding it in I realized the first copy is pretty much always maindeckable. The card just wrecks B/W exalted like few others and since that's one of the better archetypes that's huge.
Jayemdae Tome - I thought this would probably be too slow in modern day magic but slow control decks are actually possible in this format and it's actively very good there.
Wall of Fire - This card along with Wild Guess to an extent actually makes R/X control decks a thing. This stops a majority of the creatures you'll see in their tracks and gives you all the time you need to set up for your late game.
Duds Volcanic Geyser - Dud here in the sense that this is way worse than it looks at first glance (though it's fine removal so you'd still always play it in red). 5 mana to kill an X/3 for example is quite inefficient and the extra mana tacked on to Fireball really does hurt the card (as well as not being able to use it as a pseudo-sweeper later on in games).
Oof... really? It's so flexible though and the Instant speed upgrade over a fireball effect usually being Sorcery speed is worth the extra mana if you ask me. It's a combat trick, it's removal, it's a win condition... I still love the card and draft it very, very highly and have had good success with red decks that have a Geyser or two. To each his own though
I think he meant that the geyser is still playable, but not the bomb that some people think it is. It's no fireball.
Duds
Welkin Tern. In most limited formats this is an important part of the curve. But blue decks for me seem to be more controlling, and I'd much rather have Auger of Bolas on turn 2 instead.
Turn to Slag. Again, a playable card that was much better last time we saw it.
Studs
Primal Huntbeast. I don't like auras without this guy. But with them, it's hard for your opponent to win.
Surprisingly Bad Welkin tern: I remembered this guy being great in Zen draft. He's consistently underperformed in M13. I actually take wind drake over him a decent chunk of the time. Goblin battle jester / Reckless brute: A 2/2 for four in this format just doesn't cut it in an aggressive deck. It likely wont matter that you might be able to make their dudes not block, because they'll be outracing you anyway. Brute I originally regarded as niche playable, now I regard him as total garbage, occasionally sided in on the play. Bloodcrazed neonate could at least turn into a problem, brute sucks forever. Ring of kalonia: The weakest of the ring cycle, IMO. Green's problem isn't a lack of big creatures, it's vulnerability to fliers/removal.
Surprisingly Good Battleflight eagle: I originally thought this guy was overcosted, but his ETB ability can just kill out of nowhere. A flying bear body is also highly relevant for trading with bloodhunter bats and talrand drakes. Ravenous rats: Far from an auto-include but also far from unplayable. They actually get better in multiples and with mind rot.
Surprisingly Bad Welkin tern: I remembered this guy being great in Zen draft. He's consistently underperformed in M13. I actually take wind drake over him a decent chunk of the time. Goblin battle jester...
I've always enjoyed Welkin Tern, actually; either gets through for some early pressure, or sometimes makes for a good clock. Don't expect him to always carry the load, but it sometimes gets there. You're usually happy any time it trades with a wind drake, drake token, or other x/2 flyer. I'm not unhappy when 2 of them hold a Serra Angel at bay, although it's not usually a defensive card.
Goblin Battle Jester's always been good for me as a 1-2 of in a heavy red deck; save a removal piece or 2, then cast to remove a potential blocker, have the jester remove another blocker, swing in. Makes it less likely they'll pin their defense on a single guy, when any red spell invalidates it--blunting their offense, usually. Not an early pick by any means, but a decent role-player.
So am I really to understand that the main problem people have with drafting blue in this whole format is that they don't understand how to take the aggressive cards in aggressive U/B or U/R or U/W decks and the more controlling cards in controlling U/B or U/G decks? Is it really that simple? And you're the same ones who prefer green? Curiouser and curiouser.
Duds: Drumroll please........
Green
But other than being a broken record(/I guess troll at this point? Since nobody's listening?).
Switcheroo: Turns out conditional Mind Control is the way to make Mind Control effects fair. Exalted, rings, and a relative dearth of creatures you really want to give away all contributed to this, and this is a card you really don't want in either aggro or control. I take Unsummon over this every time at this point.
Ajani's Suntriker: Bears are Not Good in this format, and this mana-intensive one really doesn't buck the trend. I love watching people cling this guy until he's totally irrelevant, hoping for that lifelinked counter-attack that never materializes. It's especially bad that he isn't a Soldier for War Falcon.
Studs:
Kraken Hatchling/Vedalken Entrancer: Turns out all you need to beat most green decks is a couple of X/4s. Obviously these guys are different roleplayers (and Hatchling is pretty silly in any kind of mirror situation), but if you want to play blue and beat green you start here.
Cower in Fear: Though I never did take this over Murder, it's really almost that good. People finally figured out Chandra's Fury, but -1/-1 actually makes a large difference in a lot of scenarios and being 2-mana cheaper is just the tits.
Rummaging Goblin: The thinking on this guy has varied wildly, but it turns out that red gets pretty dangerous when you have card selection available. I think he's actually better in the aggro decks, since by three your opponent should be under pressure and not adding a relevant body to the board isn't such a blow.
Ajani's Suntriker: Bears are Not Good in this format, and this mana-intensive one really doesn't buck the trend. I love watching people cling this guy until he's totally irrelevant, hoping for that lifelinked counter-attack that never materializes. It's especially bad that he isn't a Soldier for [card]War Falcon[/card.
I think I check him every single time to see if he's a soldier or knight because I always forget and then I sigh when I realize he's a totally irrelevant creature type. That being said, I still think he is a good card thanks to the fact he is in white. It is pretty often you get to play him turn two and then drop something with Exalted on turn 3 and attack in with a 3/3 lifelink. It's a very strong start and I will usually play as many Sunstrikers as I can get if I have a few exalted cards in my deck as well.
So am I really to understand that the main problem people have with drafting blue in this whole format is that they don't understand how to take the aggressive cards in aggressive U/B or U/R or U/W decks and the more controlling cards in controlling U/B or U/G decks? Is it really that simple? And you're the same ones who prefer green? Curiouser and curiouser.
Duds: Drumroll please........
Green
But other than being a broken record(/I guess troll at this point? Since nobody's listening?).
Switcheroo: Turns out conditional Mind Control is the way to make Mind Control effects fair. Exalted, rings, and a relative dearth of creatures you really want to give away all contributed to this, and this is a card you really don't want in either aggro or control. I take Unsummon over this every time at this point.
Ajani's Suntriker: Bears are Not Good in this format, and this mana-intensive one really doesn't buck the trend. I love watching people cling this guy until he's totally irrelevant, hoping for that lifelinked counter-attack that never materializes. It's especially bad that he isn't a Soldier for War Falcon.
Studs:
Kraken Hatchling/Vedalken Entrancer: Turns out all you need to beat most green decks is a couple of X/4s. Obviously these guys are different roleplayers (and Hatchling is pretty silly in any kind of mirror situation), but if you want to play blue and beat green you start here.
Cower in Fear: Though I never did take this over Murder, it's really almost that good. People finally figured out Chandra's Fury, but -1/-1 actually makes a large difference in a lot of scenarios and being 2-mana cheaper is just the tits.
Rummaging Goblin: The thinking on this guy has varied wildly, but it turns out that red gets pretty dangerous when you have card selection available. I think he's actually better in the aggro decks, since by three your opponent should be under pressure and not adding a relevant body to the board isn't such a blow.
I totally agree with switcheroo. There are a lot of situations where it just doesn't do anything, because you either can't tap out or can't make a favorable trade. Still, I think it has a place in some decks, but it's no mind control (which is something I said when it was previewed, BTW - everyone else said that it's basically a mind control, and I said it had a significant disadvantage).
Sunstriker can be decent if your deck leans heavy enough to white. I played against a guy who was monowhite with FIVE of them, and his deck was pretty good. I had a heavy white deck yesterday that had a few and they were decent. If you have 10+ plains in your deck, I think the card is actually actively good. But in the majority of two color decks, it's pretty poor. It really needs some exalted triggers to be effective, and if you don't have it turn two, it's pretty worthless.
I think I check him every single time to see if he's a soldier or knight because I always forget and then I sigh when I realize he's a totally irrelevant creature type. That being said, I still think he is a good card thanks to the fact he is in white. It is pretty often you get to play him turn two and then drop something with Exalted on turn 3 and attack in with a 3/3 lifelink. It's a very strong start and I will usually play as many Sunstrikers as I can get if I have a few exalted cards in my deck as well.
Studs
Giant Scorpion; Turns out, he holds the ground against darn near everything. Against mediocre players, he can effectively hold back an army of the already-maligned bears or some ground-pounding bombs.
Mark of the Vampire; +2/+2 and lifelink in black has secured victory for me more times than I can count. Putting it on a scorpion is ridiculous.
Ring of Xathrid; See the two above. I've lost track of the number of times an opponent cast a desperation Turn to Slag in full knowledge that all he'd get out of it is a melted Ring, leaving my +X/+Xed scorpion behind.
Crippling Blight; I've lost track of the number of times an opponent left a key blocker untapped and I sailed past it for the win with this. Against black, I've found myself playing around it when my opponent showed it to me in game one...which is pretty impressive for a 1cc conditional removal spell at sorcery speed!
Hmm...apparently I've also lost track of the times I've lost track of the times.
Better than I thought
Safe Passage; Particularly against Exalted. It is also a splendid way to safely alpha-strike. Unfortunately, a good opponent will see it coming...but in limited you have to swing sometime!
Green; Green is decent, if you happen to get some of the key cards with Reach/Deathtouch/Vigilance. If you can pair them up with a Prey Upon or three, you're on your way to a good finish. Green really wants to be in a controlling color pair, though - which is very hard to play against B/W exalted all the time!
Absolute Duds:
Switcheroo; For the reasons already mentioned. Worst performance of M13 for me was a draft deck that included 2 Switcheroos, 2 Archeomancers and an unsummon or two. Couldn't win a game.
X/1 Fliers that aren't exalted. I'm looking at you, War Falcon. Welkin Tern is filler, but I'd much rather play a darn Farseek or just about any utility critter at 2cc.
EDITS Dishonorable mention:
Mind Sculpt. I wanted you to be so much better than you are. You disappoint me.
Exalted. I hate you. You are probably more unfun than infect was, at the end.
So am I really to understand that the main problem people have with drafting blue in this whole format is that they don't understand how to take the aggressive cards in aggressive U/B or U/R or U/W decks and the more controlling cards in controlling U/B or U/G decks? Is it really that simple? And you're the same ones who prefer green? Curiouser and curiouser.
Yes, it really is that simple, but please stop giving away my secrets! How am I supposed to win if everyone can tell the difference between aggro and control?
Anyways....
Studs
Ring of Xathrid. At the beginning of the format I thought all the rings were awful. It turns out they're actually okay, and this is definitely the best. Most people seem to still overvalue all of them though.
Mind Rot, Divination. Even though I know intellectually that a 2-for-1 is nothing to sneeze at, and even though I think I have been valuing these cards correctly from the beginning, I am still sometimes surprised at just how powerful these cards are.
Unsummon. As above, I know intellectually that this card is really good, but it's still surprising sometimes.
Rummaging Goblin. Sure, using it requires a little more forethought than Merfolk Looter, but it's really almost as good.
Duds
Farseek. Not being able to get a forest is a lot more relevant than I thought it would be.
Not a Dud
Switcheroo: I have yet to be really disappointed with this card. It may not be Mind Control (though it sometimes is) but I feel like I usually get more than enough value to justify the cost.
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Duds:
Spiked Baloth - If I had a penny for every time this guy was turned irrelevant by my opponent playing a bear or even a Goblin Arsonist, I'd have a bunch of pennies. I still play him every time I'm in green but I almost always feel bad about it.
Slumbering Dragon - For some reason I really thought this guy could get it done. I've drafted him several times, EVERY time with the red ring as well. Not once has he ever gotten to block or attack. At this point I'd much rather draft and run another Arsonist than him.
Studs:
Trumpet Blast - I thought this card looked unplayable initially... just a much crappier, more situational Rally the Peasants. Turns out that it singlehandedly makes RW or RG aggro a viable archetype that does quite well. At this point I'm actually happy to run two of them in a deck that supports it.
All of the uncommon two-color creatures in the cycle (Flinthoof Boar, Crimson Muckwader, Artic Aven, etc) - Wow, these guys are great. Virtually every one of them is very potent and none of them is a dud. You do have to be in the colors to support them but they're so efficient that it can be really sick. If one comes by in colors I am in or considering to be in, I almost always snap them up now.
Yeva's Forcemage - I initially thought in the context of Green's fast, tempo-based decks and this seemed fine. But no, two extra damage isn't enough to make up for a 2/2 for 3. My last four Green decks have maindecked 0 copies between them.
Silvercoat Lion - I fondly imagined an army of W/X bears beating down unwary control decks. In reality, vanilla 2/2s are pretty bad and White almost always has better options.
Surprisingly Good
Servant of Nefarox - This looked like a trap to me. Exalted decks don't need power. But no, it actually works really well. Most of the time it's just another Exalted guy, but it can occasionally bail you out of trouble by trading with the opponent's Centaur if they get a quick start.
Crippling Blight - Looked like the usual "I kill X/1s" that most sets contain. In reality, it's more like Pacifism for 1 with extra upside in terms of how it plays.
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
Fungal Sprouting - I wanted this to be awesome in a deck with big green dudes but even then it's only slightly better than a Captain's Call on average. Playable but never exciting.
Grizzly Bears (Silvercoat Lion, Walking Corpse, Timberpack Wolf) - Bears really aren't that great in this format even though there's a lot of them. The best thing they do is give you some non-essential creature to beat in with a bunch of exalted triggers. Other than that they just become irrelevant far too quickly.
Volcanic Geyser - Dud here in the sense that this is way worse than it looks at first glance (though it's fine removal so you'd still always play it in red). 5 mana to kill an X/3 for example is quite inefficient and the extra mana tacked on to Fireball really does hurt the card (as well as not being able to use it as a pseudo-sweeper later on in games).
Studs
Chandra's Fury - Even at 5 mana tacking on a 1 damage sweeper to Lava Axe is huge in a format with as many X/1s as this has. I treated the card as Lava Axe early on (only main it in the most aggressive decks) but after how much I was siding it in I realized the first copy is pretty much always maindeckable. The card just wrecks B/W exalted like few others and since that's one of the better archetypes that's huge.
Jayemdae Tome - I thought this would probably be too slow in modern day magic but slow control decks are actually possible in this format and it's actively very good there.
Wall of Fire - This card along with Wild Guess to an extent actually makes R/X control decks a thing. This stops a majority of the creatures you'll see in their tracks and gives you all the time you need to set up for your late game.
Oof... really? It's so flexible though and the Instant speed upgrade over a fireball effect usually being Sorcery speed is worth the extra mana if you ask me. It's a combat trick, it's removal, it's a win condition... I still love the card and draft it very, very highly and have had good success with red decks that have a Geyser or two. To each his own though
Duds
Welkin Tern. In most limited formats this is an important part of the curve. But blue decks for me seem to be more controlling, and I'd much rather have Auger of Bolas on turn 2 instead.
Turn to Slag. Again, a playable card that was much better last time we saw it.
Studs
Primal Huntbeast. I don't like auras without this guy. But with them, it's hard for your opponent to win.
Farseek. Slow rampy decks really want this.
Welkin tern: I remembered this guy being great in Zen draft. He's consistently underperformed in M13. I actually take wind drake over him a decent chunk of the time.
Goblin battle jester / Reckless brute: A 2/2 for four in this format just doesn't cut it in an aggressive deck. It likely wont matter that you might be able to make their dudes not block, because they'll be outracing you anyway. Brute I originally regarded as niche playable, now I regard him as total garbage, occasionally sided in on the play. Bloodcrazed neonate could at least turn into a problem, brute sucks forever.
Ring of kalonia: The weakest of the ring cycle, IMO. Green's problem isn't a lack of big creatures, it's vulnerability to fliers/removal.
Surprisingly Good
Battleflight eagle: I originally thought this guy was overcosted, but his ETB ability can just kill out of nowhere. A flying bear body is also highly relevant for trading with bloodhunter bats and talrand drakes.
Ravenous rats: Far from an auto-include but also far from unplayable. They actually get better in multiples and with mind rot.
I've always enjoyed Welkin Tern, actually; either gets through for some early pressure, or sometimes makes for a good clock. Don't expect him to always carry the load, but it sometimes gets there. You're usually happy any time it trades with a wind drake, drake token, or other x/2 flyer. I'm not unhappy when 2 of them hold a Serra Angel at bay, although it's not usually a defensive card.
Goblin Battle Jester's always been good for me as a 1-2 of in a heavy red deck; save a removal piece or 2, then cast to remove a potential blocker, have the jester remove another blocker, swing in. Makes it less likely they'll pin their defense on a single guy, when any red spell invalidates it--blunting their offense, usually. Not an early pick by any means, but a decent role-player.
Duds: Drumroll please........
But other than being a broken record(/I guess troll at this point? Since nobody's listening?).
Switcheroo: Turns out conditional Mind Control is the way to make Mind Control effects fair. Exalted, rings, and a relative dearth of creatures you really want to give away all contributed to this, and this is a card you really don't want in either aggro or control. I take Unsummon over this every time at this point.
Ajani's Suntriker: Bears are Not Good in this format, and this mana-intensive one really doesn't buck the trend. I love watching people cling this guy until he's totally irrelevant, hoping for that lifelinked counter-attack that never materializes. It's especially bad that he isn't a Soldier for War Falcon.
Studs:
Kraken Hatchling/Vedalken Entrancer: Turns out all you need to beat most green decks is a couple of X/4s. Obviously these guys are different roleplayers (and Hatchling is pretty silly in any kind of mirror situation), but if you want to play blue and beat green you start here.
Cower in Fear: Though I never did take this over Murder, it's really almost that good. People finally figured out Chandra's Fury, but -1/-1 actually makes a large difference in a lot of scenarios and being 2-mana cheaper is just the tits.
Rummaging Goblin: The thinking on this guy has varied wildly, but it turns out that red gets pretty dangerous when you have card selection available. I think he's actually better in the aggro decks, since by three your opponent should be under pressure and not adding a relevant body to the board isn't such a blow.
I think I check him every single time to see if he's a soldier or knight because I always forget and then I sigh when I realize he's a totally irrelevant creature type. That being said, I still think he is a good card thanks to the fact he is in white. It is pretty often you get to play him turn two and then drop something with Exalted on turn 3 and attack in with a 3/3 lifelink. It's a very strong start and I will usually play as many Sunstrikers as I can get if I have a few exalted cards in my deck as well.
I totally agree with switcheroo. There are a lot of situations where it just doesn't do anything, because you either can't tap out or can't make a favorable trade. Still, I think it has a place in some decks, but it's no mind control (which is something I said when it was previewed, BTW - everyone else said that it's basically a mind control, and I said it had a significant disadvantage).
Sunstriker can be decent if your deck leans heavy enough to white. I played against a guy who was monowhite with FIVE of them, and his deck was pretty good. I had a heavy white deck yesterday that had a few and they were decent. If you have 10+ plains in your deck, I think the card is actually actively good. But in the majority of two color decks, it's pretty poor. It really needs some exalted triggers to be effective, and if you don't have it turn two, it's pretty worthless.
Cat cleric FTW!
*DCI Rules Advisor*
Giant Scorpion; Turns out, he holds the ground against darn near everything. Against mediocre players, he can effectively hold back an army of the already-maligned bears or some ground-pounding bombs.
Mark of the Vampire; +2/+2 and lifelink in black has secured victory for me more times than I can count. Putting it on a scorpion is ridiculous.
Ring of Xathrid; See the two above. I've lost track of the number of times an opponent cast a desperation Turn to Slag in full knowledge that all he'd get out of it is a melted Ring, leaving my +X/+Xed scorpion behind.
Crippling Blight; I've lost track of the number of times an opponent left a key blocker untapped and I sailed past it for the win with this. Against black, I've found myself playing around it when my opponent showed it to me in game one...which is pretty impressive for a 1cc conditional removal spell at sorcery speed!
Hmm...apparently I've also lost track of the times I've lost track of the times.
Better than I thought
Safe Passage; Particularly against Exalted. It is also a splendid way to safely alpha-strike. Unfortunately, a good opponent will see it coming...but in limited you have to swing sometime!
Green; Green is decent, if you happen to get some of the key cards with Reach/Deathtouch/Vigilance. If you can pair them up with a Prey Upon or three, you're on your way to a good finish. Green really wants to be in a controlling color pair, though - which is very hard to play against B/W exalted all the time!
Absolute Duds:
Switcheroo; For the reasons already mentioned. Worst performance of M13 for me was a draft deck that included 2 Switcheroos, 2 Archeomancers and an unsummon or two. Couldn't win a game.
X/1 Fliers that aren't exalted. I'm looking at you, War Falcon. Welkin Tern is filler, but I'd much rather play a darn Farseek or just about any utility critter at 2cc.
EDITS
Dishonorable mention:
Mind Sculpt. I wanted you to be so much better than you are. You disappoint me.
Exalted. I hate you. You are probably more unfun than infect was, at the end.
~M
Anyways....
Studs
Ring of Xathrid. At the beginning of the format I thought all the rings were awful. It turns out they're actually okay, and this is definitely the best. Most people seem to still overvalue all of them though.
Mind Rot, Divination. Even though I know intellectually that a 2-for-1 is nothing to sneeze at, and even though I think I have been valuing these cards correctly from the beginning, I am still sometimes surprised at just how powerful these cards are.
Unsummon. As above, I know intellectually that this card is really good, but it's still surprising sometimes.
Rummaging Goblin. Sure, using it requires a little more forethought than Merfolk Looter, but it's really almost as good.
Duds
Farseek. Not being able to get a forest is a lot more relevant than I thought it would be.
Not a Dud
Switcheroo: I have yet to be really disappointed with this card. It may not be Mind Control (though it sometimes is) but I feel like I usually get more than enough value to justify the cost.