I am a little late on this set. The summer is here and we've already had Conspiracy pass us with M15 on the horizon. I did make a M14 list, so I will try to get that out at least before the next set.
I get the two sets Journey Into Nyx and Born of the Gods mixed up. I can never remember which is which. Theros was an easy name to remember, but these just seem interchangeable. I managed to make BotG into a top 40 card thing which just seems completely unreasonable now. This is a better set than last time, I think that can be universally agreed on. It's probably not as powerful as Theros, but it's at least a discussion.
This set has enough junk in it that it was hard to make a bottom 5 list. I did one, but there were some close contenders for cream of the crap.The bottom 5 of my bottom 10:
Mortal Obstinacy - A small stat boost for a card is not worth it, there are plenty of enchatments though.
Thassa's Devourer - 5 mana for a boring 2/6 is worthless without Phenax.
Font of Ire - 5 damage for 6 mana is very bad. Especially when it can't hit a creature.
Starfall - Lightning Bolt? Searing Blood? Magma Spray? Shock? It's all of them! Well all the cost of them.
Gluttonous Cyclops - 6 mana for a 5/4 is not what dreams are made of. 13 mana for a 8/7 isn't much better. Hunding Gjornersen is one of the worst creatures of all time. And this reminds me of it.
Bottom 5:
5. Deserters Quarters
8 mana to tap a creature is crazy expensive. Sure it can hold a creature down, but to repeat that effect just twice you will have paid 14 mana.
4. Flamespeakers Will
The even worse Mortal Obstinacy. It's totally unplayable in constructed, very limited sideboard in limited. Only 5% of the cards in the Theros block are artifacts. There are 5 common artifacts period in the whole block. Probably only 8 of them are even worth blowing up.
3. Knowledge and Power
A 5 mana enchantment that doesn't affect the board is awful. If you didn't have to pay 2 mana every time to use it, it might be fringe playable - just add it to your Thassa deck. But what is 7 mana to do 2 damage. 9 mana to do 4 damage. You get the idea. Boulderfall never looked so good.
2. Lightning Diadem
Shock is 1 mana. Giant Strength is 2 mana. Lets add another for combining them. This costs 4 mana. Oh wait.
1. Font of Vigor
5 mana to gain 7 life. Huh. Congregate didn't cost this much and was likely going to gain you much more life. But it's an enchantment! Keep drinking whatever it is the flavor text is telling you to.
Okay, onto decent cards!
Honorable Mentions: (No particular order - except alphabetic)
Cloaked Siren
Probably over costed or a toughness shy from being crazy awesome, this thing is still solid. In the perfect world you are killing a tough flier or a weak attacker and hitting for 3 the next turn.
Deicide
Sure it's only a sideboard card, but oh what a sideboard it is. Not a Modern card per-say, but in standard, it's clutch.
Eidolon of Rhetoric
This goes into some deck, even if it's a sideboard only one. I can't say for sure exactly where it goes, but it does work.
Fleetfeather Cockatrice
Adding another green mana onto that Cloaked Siren gives you that extra point of toughness, deathtouch and a possible Monstrosity. I feel the same as I did the other - one mana too much, but clearly solid.
Hall of Triumph
Now this is an easy one to see where it goes into. A Glorious Anthem for all colors. Again a good card, too expensive to be too amazing outside of limited.
Heroes Bane
I wish it had haste a'la Mistcutter Hydra. 5 mana for a 4/4 isn't too great. 9 mana for a 8/8 is better. It just takes too much time to effect the board in a meaningful way.
Hubris
A bounce spell that can take out other Auras. This might be a benefit to you in additon to being able to kill your opponents temple. Though it's not as crazy as this next card....
Scourge of Fleets
This is a very dumb card. It can just wipe an opponent out for a couple turns if played correctly, or simply win the game. It's easy to see why it's not constructed playable, but crazy great in limited.
Setessan Tactics
This one has taken me some time to warm up on. You need it to be played against you to truly see how powerful it is. In a late stall game this can take out 2+ creatures no problem. The beauty of it is that the Strive only costs 1 more per creature which is
Twinflame
This Strive is quite a bit more. 5 mana for a copy of 2 of the best creatures isn't a terrible plan. If you can get to 8 and you have some big creatures it is a good limited finisher. It's too expensive and limited(targeting only your own creatures) to be constructed playable.
20. Brain Maggot
Not quite Thoughtseize, Brain Maggot does work really well in conjunction with it though. A slightly different approach with this, you grab not the worst card in hand necessarily, but the one that disrupts their early plays the most. Grab that Sylvan Caryatid, Cloudfin Raptor or Young Pyromancer.
19. Battlefield Thaumaturge
Obviously a play around card. A 2/1 for 2 is a decent start. Being able to combo this with your favorite Strive card is what gives this it's power. Oh I don't know, this comes to mind -
18. Eidolon of the Great Revel
Another card I haven't quite figured out. Does it go in a constructed burn deck? I don't know, I would just have to see it. I guess in limited it could be a replacement for something, but not a modern card, right?
17. Doomwake Giant
All the promos were decent this time. This guy essentially pumps your team for every enchantment you play. It can also kill the occasional weenie. 5 mana for a 4/6 isn't the worst of deals by itself either.
16. Aegis of the Gods
Sideboard against burn, storm or any deck which uses the awful Font of Ire. It's a new and improved take on True Believer. For constructed it can go in the aggro Hatebears deck.
15. Dictate of Heliod
One of the better Dictates. Pumping all your creatures for +2 at Flash should kill somethings, though your opponent should get suspicious of you holding back all that mana.
14. Hydra Broodmaster
6 for a 7/7 is on the good side value, compared to the other 4/4 for 5 hydra. It can't grow like the Heroes Bane, but it can bring in 3 3/3 friends for 7 mana.
13. Extinguish All Hope
Black doesn't get many board wipes. This one is just as expensive as some of the others, but this one can gain you mucho card advantage if played around. I also really love the Gods art and flavor text.
12. Temples
I had the Temples at 7 in Born of the Gods. That about sums up my feeling on the power level of the cards. They clearly ran out of names with Malady. A tip of the hat to you.
11. Eidolon of Blossoms
It might as well have no power and toughness at all. You aren't going to be attacking with this Spirit very often. No, what it is is a card that will hopefully draw you 3-4 cards during the course of the game. It should be dealt with quickly, or you get what is essentially a Harmonize with an upside.
10. Master of the Feast
I just really want to build a deck around this guy. It might be very bad, I don't know, but put it in a Red deck and just try to wail on your opponent. It might work, it might fail miserably and cost yourself a card. I'm sure it is fantastic in limited. It doesn't get any standard love.
9. Dawnbringer Charioteers
An amazing limited card, but Baneslayer Angel it is not. Heroic can't be overlooked, but the real value of this is a lifelinker that has a high toughness and evasion. That's just a great combination for 4 mana that has ended many a game. It's not constructed playable, but that is pretty funny. You can't make it cost 3...
8. King Macar, the Gold-Cursed
If you can just get this to untap once, you have received your reward of 4 mana and a card. If you can somehow get this to happen twice? Then you are probably winning the game. It is basically a free Path to Exile that gives you the land. The trick is getting this to tap consistently.
7. Godsend
The equip cost is what separates this from the other AMAZING Swords that we were previously used to. 3 mana is pretty expensive if your creature just gets blown up. That can cause some major tempo issues. +3/+3 is very good though and your opponent not being able to cast a card again is kind of a great side ability which makes this card itself great.
6. Silence the Believers
Kind of an anti Bestow card. It's thankfully an instant which makes this just as powerful as Go For the Throat or Doom Blade. While it does cost 2 more, being able to exile in this set is useful with graveyard love around and being able to target any creature gives it an appropriate cost. 3 would be broken. 7 mana to take out multiple creatures and exile their auras is super great.
5. Prophetic Flamespeaker
3 mana for what is a 2/3 trampler is fringe playable. Pumping this Shaman seems like a very great idea. Double Strike and Trample is a very lethal combination. It also creates card advantage making this one sick puppy. More of a play-around than the cards above it, but it has true value.
4. Dictate of Erebos
More splashable than Gravepact, more of a surprise, much cheaper price-wise - all gravy if you ask me. 5 is still quite a bit to hold on to, but late in the game it might take a creature or two by surprise. The real value is in multiplayer where you can wipe multiple boards much easier.
3. Oblivion Ring
While it can't target your own things, it doesn't allow for the shenanigans where you could exile something forever.
2. Gods
I had the Gods at 7 in my Theros list, again kind of an indicator as to how powerful I feel the set is compared to that one. Kind of a cop out once again, but this is truly where I think these belong. Top 3 or 4 for sure.
E. Kruphix, God of Horizons
Not the worst God...poor Karametra. A 4/7 for 5 is not very whelming. It does have two abilities. The first one is practically useless. The second could be played around, but rather limited.
D. Pharika, God of Affliction
3 mana is perfect for a 5/5. It's ability isn't bad even if it isn't super powerful like the next three.
C. Keranos, God of Storms
5 is a ton for what amounts to colors that are harder to devote to. But what this lacks in being a creature, he makes up for in one of the best abilities you could ask for on a card - A free card or a lightning bolt every turn.
B. Iroas, God of Victory
4 is a great cost on a 7 power indestructible creature. It shouldn't be hard to devote to this guy with these colors. It also has two stupid abilities if what you are doing is attacking. Combat will become a nightmare for your opponent.
A. Athreos, God of Passage
Similar cost to P/T ratio as Phareka. This ability is much better to me. Orzhov can just churn out creatures plentiful and quickly. Board wipes, pyroclasms? Mehh. Do you want to take an additional 9 life. How much damage does a card have to do to be worth it for 3 mana? 12 would be 4 creatures, shouldn't be too hard to do.
1. Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
I love Planeswalkers, even 5 mana ones. The consensus on him is that he is generally too expensive, but look at those abilities. Essentially draw a card or 3 +1/+1 counters every turn. Kitty doesn't need to make it to 8 loyalty to completely dominate a game.
Check out my other posts:
The Top 10 Planeswalkers
The Top 20 Land Cards
The Top 20 Theros Cards
The Top 20 Dragon's Maze Cards
The Top 20 Common Cards
The 30 Coolest Dragons
The Top 40 Born of the Gods Cards
The Top 40 Black Cards
The 80 Worst Creatures
The Top 100 One Drop Creatures
100 Unique Creatures
The 100 Worst Cards
I get the two sets Journey Into Nyx and Born of the Gods mixed up. I can never remember which is which. Theros was an easy name to remember, but these just seem interchangeable. I managed to make BotG into a top 40 card thing which just seems completely unreasonable now. This is a better set than last time, I think that can be universally agreed on. It's probably not as powerful as Theros, but it's at least a discussion.
This set has enough junk in it that it was hard to make a bottom 5 list. I did one, but there were some close contenders for cream of the crap.The bottom 5 of my bottom 10:
Mortal Obstinacy - A small stat boost for a card is not worth it, there are plenty of enchatments though.
Thassa's Devourer - 5 mana for a boring 2/6 is worthless without Phenax.
Font of Ire - 5 damage for 6 mana is very bad. Especially when it can't hit a creature.
Starfall - Lightning Bolt? Searing Blood? Magma Spray? Shock? It's all of them! Well all the cost of them.
Gluttonous Cyclops - 6 mana for a 5/4 is not what dreams are made of. 13 mana for a 8/7 isn't much better. Hunding Gjornersen is one of the worst creatures of all time. And this reminds me of it.
Bottom 5:
5. Deserters Quarters
8 mana to tap a creature is crazy expensive. Sure it can hold a creature down, but to repeat that effect just twice you will have paid 14 mana.
4. Flamespeakers Will
The even worse Mortal Obstinacy. It's totally unplayable in constructed, very limited sideboard in limited. Only 5% of the cards in the Theros block are artifacts. There are 5 common artifacts period in the whole block. Probably only 8 of them are even worth blowing up.
3. Knowledge and Power
A 5 mana enchantment that doesn't affect the board is awful. If you didn't have to pay 2 mana every time to use it, it might be fringe playable - just add it to your Thassa deck. But what is 7 mana to do 2 damage. 9 mana to do 4 damage. You get the idea. Boulderfall never looked so good.
2. Lightning Diadem
Shock is 1 mana. Giant Strength is 2 mana. Lets add another for combining them. This costs 4 mana. Oh wait.
1. Font of Vigor
5 mana to gain 7 life. Huh. Congregate didn't cost this much and was likely going to gain you much more life. But it's an enchantment! Keep drinking whatever it is the flavor text is telling you to.
Okay, onto decent cards!
Honorable Mentions: (No particular order - except alphabetic)
Cloaked Siren
Probably over costed or a toughness shy from being crazy awesome, this thing is still solid. In the perfect world you are killing a tough flier or a weak attacker and hitting for 3 the next turn.
Deicide
Sure it's only a sideboard card, but oh what a sideboard it is. Not a Modern card per-say, but in standard, it's clutch.
Eidolon of Rhetoric
This goes into some deck, even if it's a sideboard only one. I can't say for sure exactly where it goes, but it does work.
Fleetfeather Cockatrice
Adding another green mana onto that Cloaked Siren gives you that extra point of toughness, deathtouch and a possible Monstrosity. I feel the same as I did the other - one mana too much, but clearly solid.
Hall of Triumph
Now this is an easy one to see where it goes into. A Glorious Anthem for all colors. Again a good card, too expensive to be too amazing outside of limited.
Heroes Bane
I wish it had haste a'la Mistcutter Hydra. 5 mana for a 4/4 isn't too great. 9 mana for a 8/8 is better. It just takes too much time to effect the board in a meaningful way.
Hubris
A bounce spell that can take out other Auras. This might be a benefit to you in additon to being able to kill your opponents temple. Though it's not as crazy as this next card....
Scourge of Fleets
This is a very dumb card. It can just wipe an opponent out for a couple turns if played correctly, or simply win the game. It's easy to see why it's not constructed playable, but crazy great in limited.
Setessan Tactics
This one has taken me some time to warm up on. You need it to be played against you to truly see how powerful it is. In a late stall game this can take out 2+ creatures no problem. The beauty of it is that the Strive only costs 1 more per creature which is
Twinflame
This Strive is quite a bit more. 5 mana for a copy of 2 of the best creatures isn't a terrible plan. If you can get to 8 and you have some big creatures it is a good limited finisher. It's too expensive and limited(targeting only your own creatures) to be constructed playable.
20. Brain Maggot
Not quite Thoughtseize, Brain Maggot does work really well in conjunction with it though. A slightly different approach with this, you grab not the worst card in hand necessarily, but the one that disrupts their early plays the most. Grab that Sylvan Caryatid, Cloudfin Raptor or Young Pyromancer.
19. Battlefield Thaumaturge
Obviously a play around card. A 2/1 for 2 is a decent start. Being able to combo this with your favorite Strive card is what gives this it's power. Oh I don't know, this comes to mind -
18. Eidolon of the Great Revel
Another card I haven't quite figured out. Does it go in a constructed burn deck? I don't know, I would just have to see it. I guess in limited it could be a replacement for something, but not a modern card, right?
17. Doomwake Giant
All the promos were decent this time. This guy essentially pumps your team for every enchantment you play. It can also kill the occasional weenie. 5 mana for a 4/6 isn't the worst of deals by itself either.
16. Aegis of the Gods
Sideboard against burn, storm or any deck which uses the awful Font of Ire. It's a new and improved take on True Believer. For constructed it can go in the aggro Hatebears deck.
15. Dictate of Heliod
One of the better Dictates. Pumping all your creatures for +2 at Flash should kill somethings, though your opponent should get suspicious of you holding back all that mana.
14. Hydra Broodmaster
6 for a 7/7 is on the good side value, compared to the other 4/4 for 5 hydra. It can't grow like the Heroes Bane, but it can bring in 3 3/3 friends for 7 mana.
13. Extinguish All Hope
Black doesn't get many board wipes. This one is just as expensive as some of the others, but this one can gain you mucho card advantage if played around. I also really love the Gods art and flavor text.
12. Temples
I had the Temples at 7 in Born of the Gods. That about sums up my feeling on the power level of the cards. They clearly ran out of names with Malady. A tip of the hat to you.
11. Eidolon of Blossoms
It might as well have no power and toughness at all. You aren't going to be attacking with this Spirit very often. No, what it is is a card that will hopefully draw you 3-4 cards during the course of the game. It should be dealt with quickly, or you get what is essentially a Harmonize with an upside.
10. Master of the Feast
I just really want to build a deck around this guy. It might be very bad, I don't know, but put it in a Red deck and just try to wail on your opponent. It might work, it might fail miserably and cost yourself a card. I'm sure it is fantastic in limited. It doesn't get any standard love.
9. Dawnbringer Charioteers
An amazing limited card, but Baneslayer Angel it is not. Heroic can't be overlooked, but the real value of this is a lifelinker that has a high toughness and evasion. That's just a great combination for 4 mana that has ended many a game. It's not constructed playable, but that is pretty funny. You can't make it cost 3...
8. King Macar, the Gold-Cursed
If you can just get this to untap once, you have received your reward of 4 mana and a card. If you can somehow get this to happen twice? Then you are probably winning the game. It is basically a free Path to Exile that gives you the land. The trick is getting this to tap consistently.
7. Godsend
The equip cost is what separates this from the other AMAZING Swords that we were previously used to. 3 mana is pretty expensive if your creature just gets blown up. That can cause some major tempo issues. +3/+3 is very good though and your opponent not being able to cast a card again is kind of a great side ability which makes this card itself great.
6. Silence the Believers
Kind of an anti Bestow card. It's thankfully an instant which makes this just as powerful as Go For the Throat or Doom Blade. While it does cost 2 more, being able to exile in this set is useful with graveyard love around and being able to target any creature gives it an appropriate cost. 3 would be broken. 7 mana to take out multiple creatures and exile their auras is super great.
5. Prophetic Flamespeaker
3 mana for what is a 2/3 trampler is fringe playable. Pumping this Shaman seems like a very great idea. Double Strike and Trample is a very lethal combination. It also creates card advantage making this one sick puppy. More of a play-around than the cards above it, but it has true value.
4. Dictate of Erebos
More splashable than Gravepact, more of a surprise, much cheaper price-wise - all gravy if you ask me. 5 is still quite a bit to hold on to, but late in the game it might take a creature or two by surprise. The real value is in multiplayer where you can wipe multiple boards much easier.
3. Oblivion Ring
While it can't target your own things, it doesn't allow for the shenanigans where you could exile something forever.
2. Gods
I had the Gods at 7 in my Theros list, again kind of an indicator as to how powerful I feel the set is compared to that one. Kind of a cop out once again, but this is truly where I think these belong. Top 3 or 4 for sure.
E. Kruphix, God of Horizons
Not the worst God...poor Karametra. A 4/7 for 5 is not very whelming. It does have two abilities. The first one is practically useless. The second could be played around, but rather limited.
D. Pharika, God of Affliction
3 mana is perfect for a 5/5. It's ability isn't bad even if it isn't super powerful like the next three.
C. Keranos, God of Storms
5 is a ton for what amounts to colors that are harder to devote to. But what this lacks in being a creature, he makes up for in one of the best abilities you could ask for on a card - A free card or a lightning bolt every turn.
B. Iroas, God of Victory
4 is a great cost on a 7 power indestructible creature. It shouldn't be hard to devote to this guy with these colors. It also has two stupid abilities if what you are doing is attacking. Combat will become a nightmare for your opponent.
A. Athreos, God of Passage
Similar cost to P/T ratio as Phareka. This ability is much better to me. Orzhov can just churn out creatures plentiful and quickly. Board wipes, pyroclasms? Mehh. Do you want to take an additional 9 life. How much damage does a card have to do to be worth it for 3 mana? 12 would be 4 creatures, shouldn't be too hard to do.
1. Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
I love Planeswalkers, even 5 mana ones. The consensus on him is that he is generally too expensive, but look at those abilities. Essentially draw a card or 3 +1/+1 counters every turn. Kitty doesn't need to make it to 8 loyalty to completely dominate a game.
Check out my other posts:
The Top 10 Planeswalkers
The Top 20 Land Cards
The Top 20 Theros Cards
The Top 20 Dragon's Maze Cards
The Top 20 Common Cards
The 30 Coolest Dragons
The Top 40 Born of the Gods Cards
The Top 40 Black Cards
The 80 Worst Creatures
The Top 100 One Drop Creatures
100 Unique Creatures
The 100 Worst Cards
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