Oath of the Gatewatch will be coming out in the prerelease this weekend and with this article will review the cards in the set. Two caveats before this review. Expeditions are not mentioned because Expeditions are good and it best to keep them for later as their value will only increase. The other is if a card is not mentioned on the list, it is bulk quality of common and uncommons. All rares, mythics, and notable uncommons/commons are reviewed.
This set overall is good, but it will go down as this is the highest point of value for a new set and values will go down as more product is opened. There are some cards that have potential to grow in value as noted in the comments. Note that just because a card is marked as worth investing, that does not mean right now, but more after the set has been officially released.
With that out of the way, it is time to look at the set.
Oath of the Gatewatch
| Name |
Price for 12/13 |
Price for 12/15 |
Change from 12/13 to 12/15 |
Verdict on whether to invest or not |
Comment | ||||
| Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim | $2.17 | $2.03 | $0.14 | Worth investing. | This card is strong in two decks, the life gain deck and Abzan decks that want a better two drop. | ||||
| Baloth Null | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.00 | Worth investing. | This card has potential for a very grinding deck. Not something to throw in the bulk pile. | ||||
| Baloth Pup | $0.24 | $0.22 | $0.02 | Worth investing. | This could fit in an aggressive green-based deck. | ||||
| Bearer of Silence | $2.16 | $2.13 | $0.03 | Worth investing. | This card will see play in Standard. A four-mana uncounterable sacrifice creature effect is quite good and at least is a 2/1 body. | ||||
| Call the Gatewatch | $1.26 | $1.16 | $0.10 | Do not invest. | This card is bad outside of a small narrow want of superfriends Commander deck. The people who will want it will be able to get it easily. A foil would be fine because that is what would be wanted by the Commander crowd. | ||||
| Captain's Claws | $1.59 | $1.44 | $0.15 | Worth investing. | This card is amazing in a Standard Ally deck that plays off the rally mechanic. | ||||
| Chandra, Flamecaller | $12.78 | $12.55 | $0.23 | Do not Invest. | Chandra is decent at best. At six mana, the effects needs to be really good, but they are more suited to being a control finisher. | ||||
| Corrupted Crossroads | $1.53 | $1.39 | $0.14 | Worth investing. | Devoid strategies may become a thing and this is a great mana fixer for any color and can tap for colorless mana. | ||||
| Crush of Tentacles | $1.95 | $1.94 | $0.01 | Do not Invest. | This card is not good, and should never have been considered good in a format without good blue one-drops. | ||||
| Deceiver of Form | $0.56 | $0.49 | $0.07 | Worth investing. | It has potential to do something good in ramp decks that have a surplus of creatures on the field. | ||||
| Deepfathom Skulker | $0.34 | $0.33 | $0.01 | Do not Invest. | The card is fine, but being an intro foil will reduce its already meager value and demand. | ||||
| Dimensional Infiltrator | $1.69 | $1.47 | $0.22 | Worth investing. | A 2/1 flash flyer creature in is fine. The last effect is just gravy that actually is relevant to avoid removal or just mess with scry triggers. | ||||
| Drana's Chosen | $0.38 | $0.33 | $0.05 | Do not Invest. | All cohort cards are unplayable in constructed and any casual player that wants it will be easily able to get it. | ||||
| Dread Defiler | $0.36 | $0.33 | $0.03 | Do not Invest. | This card screams combo kill, but all that is apparent is this is going to get the player killed before they kill. | ||||
| Eldrazi Displacer | $5.25 | $5.19 | $0.06 | Worth investing. | This card is one of the strongest cards in the set and one of the top rares. | ||||
| Eldrazi Mimic | $1.49 | $1.62 | $0.13 | Worth investing. | This card is has some of the greatest potential of any card in this set. | ||||
| Eldrazi Obligator | $0.71 | $0.74 | $0.03 | Do not invest. | Uncountable gain control effect is nice, but not for five mana at sorcery speed. The only time a Threaten effect is used in Constructed is when it has more applications on the card. | ||||
| Endbringer | $0.79 | $0.75 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | This card has potential in devoid control or ramp decks. | ||||
| Fall of the Titans | $0.77 | $0.74 | $0.03 | Do not invest. | Fireball type effects stopped being good in Constructed a while ago. | ||||
| Flayer Drone | $0.31 | $0.27 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | Molten Nursery sees play in some devoid decks, and this card will see some play in the R/B aggro devoid decks. | ||||
| Flaying Tendrils | $0.48 | $0.47 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | Drawn in Sorrow saw a lot of sideboard play, and this card could easily fit that slot. | ||||
| General Tazri | $1.75 | $1.64 | $0.11 | Do not invest. | She has little use outside as a general for five-color Allies in Commander. A foil copy will be good because commander players do tend to want foils. | ||||
| Gladehart Cavalry | $0.33 | $0.32 | $0.01 | Do not invest. | All aspects of this cards are underwhelming. | ||||
| Goblin Dark-Dwellers | $2.53 | $2.62 | $0.09 | Worth investing. | This card will see play in Mardu and Jeskai decks to reuse their great three-mana spells. | ||||
| Grip of the Roil | $0.23 | $0.20 | $0.03 | Worth investing. | This card is silently really good in an aggressive blue-based decks. Not something to buy a lot of copies of, but keep the ones opened in packs. | ||||
| Hedron Alignment | $0.68 | $0.61 | $0.07 | Worth investing. | The card currently is okay, but when a combo play finds a way to break it, it will shoot up. | ||||
| Hissing Quagmire | $3.35 | $3.24 | $0.11 | Worth investing. | This card will see play in Abzan decks along with Shambling Vents. | ||||
| Immolating Glare | $0.49 | $0.45 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | One of the best two mana removal spells. It hits all problem creatures aside from Jace, Vyrn's Prodigy. | ||||
| Inverter of Truth | $3.83 | $3.45 | $0.38 | Worth investing. | When this card dips further down, this might be worth going after. A four mana 6/6 flying, trample creature that does not outright kill its caster is always worth looking at. | ||||
| Jori En, Ruin Diver | $1.99 | $1.95 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | Not a bad card, but it is not going to make any decks. | ||||
| Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet | $8.03 | $7.53 | $0.50 | Worth investing. | This card has real potential in Standard and worth going after if it can be obtained cheaply. | ||||
| Kazuul's Toll Collector | $0.27 | $0.28 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | If the R/W equipment deck becomes a thing, this will have some value. | ||||
| Kozilek's Return | $14.95 | $24.94 | $9.99 | Worth investing. | This the best card in the set and a reason why it is the most expensive card in the set. Do not buy into this card unless it is cheap. | ||||
| Kozilek, the Great Distortion | $15.33 | $18.24 | $2.91 | Worth investing. | Do not let Kozilek trick anyone into think he is not valuable and will be. This will be great in ramp and control. | ||||
| Linvala, the Preserver | $7.77 | $7.58 | $0.19 | Do not invest. | Angels are great, but not this one. The effect is a decent Timely Reinforcements against some decks, and other decks is a six-mana 5/5 flyer. | ||||
| Make a Stand | $0.27 | $0.24 | $0.03 | Worth investing. | Against sweepers, this card can be a serious contender. Might be good in Abzan decks to protect their board states. | ||||
| Matter Reshaper | $7.13 | $6.89 | $0.24 | Worth investing. | One of the cards making a lot of noise and rightfully so. If this can be picked up cheap, then do so. This is a combo card waiting to happen. | ||||
| Mina and Denn, Wildborn | $1.98 | $1.86 | $0.12 | Worth investing. | This is a great curve topper on a G/R landfall deck that does tackle one of the decks flaws of mid to late game not having lands to trigger landfall. | ||||
| Mirrorpool | $6.98 | $6.99 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | Wait for this card to cool off, because this card will see play in Commander and combo decks. | ||||
| Munda's Vanguard | $0.33 | $0.32 | $0.01 | Do not invest. | The cohort ability is good, but cohort is a weak Constructed format mechanic. | ||||
| Natural State | $0.18 | $0.17 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | There is a debate between this and Nature's Claim as to which is better. | ||||
| Needle Spires | $2.77 | $2.68 | $0.09 | Worth investing. | Weak right now, but can be a lot better in the future. | ||||
| Nissa, Voice of Zendikar | $19.49 | $19.39 | $0.10 | Do not invest. | Nissa's planeswalker card this time around is weak compared to her last two and this will only go down. She is not bad, but do not go after her until she drops and she is needed for a deck. | ||||
| Null Caller | $0.23 | $0.20 | $0.03 | Do not invest. | Weak at best, there are better cards out there than this that do the same effect. | ||||
| Oath of Chandra | $0.85 | $0.74 | $0.11 | Do not invest. | No, just no. | ||||
| Oath of Gideon | $1.66 | $1.64 | $0.02 | Do not invest. | No, just no. | ||||
| Oath of Jace | $1.64 | $1.46 | $0.18 | Do not invest. | This is only other one that is close to playable in the Superfriends deck. | ||||
| Oath of Nissa | $6.34 | $6.49 | $0.15 | Do not invest. | The effect is decent, but only worth it for Superfriends deck, which are not too viable anywhere but Commander. | ||||
| Overwhelming Denial | $1.40 | $1.22 | $0.18 | Worth investing. | This is a card that can be great in control mirrors for three or fewer color decks. | ||||
| Reality Smasher | $4.92 | $4.95 | $0.03 | Worth investing. | One of the best rares in the set. Wait until the market cools on this card before buying them. | ||||
| Reaver Drone | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | A solid 2/1 for one mana is good. The loss of life is bad, but if the opponent is losing two life, then who cares at worst case. | ||||
| Reflector Mage | $1.06 | $0.97 | $0.09 | Worth investing. | This is a strong uncommon and bounce creature, but wait for the hype to die down before investing in it. | ||||
| Remorseless Punishment | $0.49 | $0.49 | $0.00 | Do not invest. | A weak removal spell, but not bad. It is doubtful it is better than Ruinous Path, which barely sees play. | ||||
| Ruin in Their Wake | $0.32 | $0.27 | $0.05 | Worth investing. | This card is the only two-mana ramp spell in Standard, which looks to be a top tier deck with Oath of the Gatewatch. | ||||
| Ruins of Oran-Rief | $0.50 | $0.49 | $0.01 | Do not invest. | This card is a pale comparison of Oran-Rief, the Vastwood and that card saw little play. | ||||
| Sea Gate Wreckage | $2.88 | $2.73 | $0.15 | Worth investing. | The reverse Library of Alexandria seems like it could be good. Great for aggro decks. | ||||
| Sifter of Skulls | $0.59 | $0.55 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | The rise of the Rally the Ancestors decks might see a one or two inclusion of this card. | ||||
| Spatial Contortion | $0.71 | $0.65 | $0.06 | Worth investing. | A solid removal spell in a colorless deck has great potential. | ||||
| Sphinx of the Final Word | $2.74 | $2.62 | $0.12 | Do not invest. | This is not the finisher blue is looking for. Not bad but not great. Once Esper Dragons stops being a thing, then this might see play. | ||||
| Stone Haven Outfitter | $0.92 | $0.85 | $0.07 | Worth investing. | This card offers an interesting take on the W/x equipment deck and may be the reason it is worth running one. | ||||
| Stoneforge Acolyte | $0.50 | $0.58 | $0.08 | Do not invest. | A bad version of Stoneforge Mystic is just that. If it had cohort or look at the top four, this card would be good, but not with both costs. | ||||
| Stoneforge Masterwork | $0.99 | $1.09 | $0.10 | Worth investing. | A decent version of Coat of Arms, but still weak. Could be good in a tribal deck if that becomes a thing. | ||||
| Stormchaser Mage | $1.85 | $1.86 | $0.01 | Worth investing. | A strong prowess creature that might make for a good U/R Delver/prowess deck in Modern. | ||||
| Sylvan Advocate | $3.10 | $3.03 | $0.07 | Do not invest. | The effect of this card is real good, but like Dragonmaster Outcast, it requires getting the late game. If there is a deck that can go wide and have lots of lands in play, this can be a strong creature. | ||||
| Thought-Knot Seer | $7.25 | $7.99 | $0.74 | Worth investing. | This is arguably the best rare in the set, and will be worth a good amount, but it is better to wait for the hype to wear down first. | ||||
| Tyrant of Valakut | $0.33 | $0.31 | $0.02 | Do not invest. | These are not the dragons you're looking for. Move along. | ||||
| Vile Redeemer | $0.81 | $0.15 | $0.66 | Do not invest. | When Eyeless Watcher compares favorably to a card, that card is not good. | ||||
| Void Shatter | $1.28 | $1.13 | $0.15 | Worth investing. | A counterspell that exiles is great, and works with devoid strategies. | ||||
| Walker of the Wastes | $0.35 | $0.29 | $0.06 | Worth investing. | Walker has some serious potential in a Waste deck. | ||||
| Wall of Resurgence | $1.21 | $0.84 | $0.37 | Do not invest. | A three-mana 0/6 defender that makes a 3/3 out of land is not great in Constructed. | ||||
| Wandering Fumarole | $3.45 | $3.45 | $0.00 | Worth investing. | This will be good once the tri-lands from Khans of Tarkir rotate out. Until then, the tri-lands are much better, although it could see play as a one of in Jeskai Control. | ||||
| Warping Wail | $1.73 | $1.66 | $0.07 | Worth investing. | This card has a lot of potential and could see a lot of play. | ||||
| Wastes | $0.60 | $0.58 | $0.02 | Worth investing. | Keep these as they will be worth a something unless reprinted. Foils are going to be worth a lot. | ||||
| Weapons Trainer | $0.33 | $0.29 | $0.04 | Worth investing. | It has potential in a R/W equipment deck. | ||||
| World Breaker | $3.59 | $4.94 | $1.35 | Worth investing. | This card could see play in the green Eldrazi Ramp decks. | ||||
| Zendikar Resurgent | $0.90 | $0.83 | $0.07 | Do not invest. | This may see some play in Commander, but the demand will not be high enough to warrant investing in it. |
Set Overview
The set has a good amount of good rares and mythics, but buying a box seems not worth it unless an Expedition is guaranteed. It does have a lot of good uncommon and commons, but they are just not worth much if anything. And remember, do not buy a fat pack of this set unless it close to MSRP.
Good luck at the prerelease(s) and may the Kraken Token help crack some awesome packs.
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Posted Jan 18, 2016How many instants and sorceries are you running that Oath of Nissa isn't reliably a "G: look at top 3 and draw a card"? It's one mana draw in standard, plus card selection.
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Posted Jan 20, 2016It is not a bad card. It is overhyped and not worth going after right now.
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Posted Jan 18, 2016-
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Posted Jan 18, 2016I misread the card. I thought it was one colorless for just one scion. I still do no think it will see play in Rally decks, but it is not as bad as I thought it was.
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Posted Jan 16, 2016-
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Posted Jan 17, 2016I can see why you would think that, but the problem is that is four mana (one of which requires coloreless mana which the deck does not currently run) for a creature that only provides two bodies, which is not good when you have Eyeless Watcher that provides more bodes to sacrifice or Catacomb Sifter which brings a friend and has a reliant ability. Vile Redeemer is better for attacking, but attacking through non-Nantuko Husks is not the deck's Plan A, so the deck is weakening itself to make itself able to win another. way.