Throne of Eldraine Cards: First Impression!

Some more cards are yet to be released, but as of the 19^th, I thought I’d explore some of the more impressive and likely to be influential cards from Throne of Eldraine for Standard (and Commander/Brawl). Now, obviously, I’m not a pro-player, so take this with salt, but I’ve been around the block enough that I’m fairly confident in some of my predictions.

We’ll do this in WUBRG order.

Acclaimed Contender:

The Knight’s deck scares me. Vampires are a menace now, and this archetype has even more support. This is a likely backbone to the deck type.

Archon of Absolution:

Might see Commander play? Might be a one-of in sideboards or something for control decks? Regardless, it’s an absolute house in Limited formats.

Beloved Princess:

That’s a lot of words on a one-mana creature. She might be decent in some deck.

Charming Prince:

That’s even more words on a two-mana creature and each of those abilities are not bad at all for the cost. Might be worth playing.

Deafening Silence:

Oh great, a direct hose for my favorite deck: Phoenix. This is a powerful sideboard card, and the fact it’s one mana is absurd.

Glass Casket:

This effect is not usually on an artifact, and I’m sure that’s going to be a factor for some decks. This kind of card always has some use.

Linden, The Steadfast Queen:

White weenie is not dead, and she will potentially lead the charge. Life gain is often not that powerful, but it gets a lot scarier when it’s consistent and absurdly high.

Venerable Knight:

A one-drop of the Knight deck. If you draw a Plains and not a Mountain, it will lead the charge of a truly dangerous aggro deck.

Worthy Knight:

If he was a Knight, he would easily be one of the most powerful cards in standard. He’s still on par with Hero of Precinct One in the right deck.

Brazen Borrower:

If there’s a Faerie deck in standard, this is an auto-include. I know it seems weird that it’s a Mythic, but just think of how many times this card is going to mess up someone’s plans.

Emry, Lurker of the Loch:

She’s either going to be part of an artifact combo deck or a commander for an artifact combo deck. Can she make artifact storm in Standard a thing again? I actually really hope so.

Fae of Wishes:

Wish effects are fascinating to me, and this is going to be part of some control or combo deck.

Hypnotic Sprite:

And the tempo Faerie deck gets likely one of its most common ways to ruin people’s day.

The Magic Mirror:

Maybe good? Maybe too cute to really be powerful? I honestly can’t tell. It’s probably sweet in Commander.

Mystical Dispute:

Sideboard card? Or maybe even mainboard. That first clause is extremely powerful, especially in counterspell fights.

Opt:

It’s not going to rotate out of Standard! Ha!

Ayara, First of Locthwain:

Hello, new Mono-Black Commander option. She just drains for so much in the right deck. It doesn’t say “nontoken” in that clause.

Belle of the Brawl:

Maybe not good enough, but that ability to make rushing attacks even more brutal is absurd sometimes.

The Cauldron of Eternity:

If someone can find a combo with it that’s consistent, then we have some weird Dredge deck coming into Standard.

Murderous Rider:

This is quite possibly the strongest creature in the entire set. Buy them before they cost way too much.

Oathsworn Knight:

Proliferate is still a mechanic in Standard and wow does that make this brutal. In any case, he’s a Knight with good stats, and you’ll want to be attacking a bunch anyway, so that clause isn’t important.

Rankle, Master of Pranks:

Well, I guess Black and Blue Faeries is a deck, and this is a great top curve card for it.

Revenge of Ravens:

I’m sorry, is this an Oath of Kaya that protects you and can be stacked? Like, yeah, less damage, but still, what the heck is this card and is it fast enough to be devastating?

Smitten Swordmaster:

His Adventure costs one mana!? It’s like Gray Merchant. This will kill players randomly.

Specter’s Shriek:

That’s not Thoughtseize. It’s not—but that doesn’t make this not really powerful. Thought Erasure is still a card in Standard and using both is just mean.

Witch’s Vengeance:

Ah, thank god there’s a card to deal with the overwhelming tribal decks that we might be seeing.

Bonecrusher Giant:

Three mana for this? With that ability on it as an Adventure? This card is so strong. Is Mono-Red going to be a slightly slower but higher impact deck? Or is this the new Chainwhirler?

Fervent Champion:

This card is way too power-crept. I can’t get over how many words it has and how strong an opener for the Knight deck this can be. Play four.

Robber of the Rich:

Hey, Thief of Sanity or Direfleet Daredevil has a new friend. This card is so good.

Gilded Goose:

Another really good mana dork. Lovely. There’s a lot of competition for that slot and I don’t know which will take the cake, or food, as it were.

Questing Beast:

This card is likely overpowered. At that mana cost, it’s not even fair. Have removal for it or die.

Wildborn Preserver:

Uh…really? A mana sink with reach and flash? As if Simic Flash wasn’t already secretly (or not so secretly) one of the best decks in Standard.

Garruk, Cursed Huntsman:

He’s good, but six mana planeswalkers are a big ask. Limited, though? Your opponent should just concede.

Inspiring Veteran:

Hey, look, the lord of the Knight deck.

Stormfist Crusader:

This card is…yikes. And is a Knight? I keep saying it, but Knights are pushed.

Wintermoor Commander:

An even better Knight card.

Sorcerous Spyglass:

I’m really glad we didn’t lose this card. It’s just good for high-level players to have access to this kind of effect.

Stonecoil Serpent:

I mean, in certain decks there’s no reason not to fill slots with this card. It’s just good at every part of the game.

Castle Locthwain:

Ever heard of Dark Confidant? Yeah, this is easier to control, though probably not as strong.

Fabled Passage:

If the final sentence doesn’t give you whiplash and make you realize how strong this card is, like four-of in decks, then you haven’t been playing Magic for very long.

Tournament Grounds:

It’s almost like WOTC is trying to tell us something.

Mace of the Valiant:

Uh, this card is amazing. Just keeps hitting harder and doesn’t lose charge when the creature holding it dies.

Thorn Mammoth:

For when you want your opponent to be utterly put on the back foot.

Alela, Artful Provocateur:

She’s fun, but you need to precisely sculpt a Brawl deck to get the most out of her.

Chulane, Teller of Tales:

He’s so good you might see him in Standard.

Korvold, Fae-Cursed King:

Play him in a token heavy deck, I guess?

Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale:

That last ability is why he’ll see play. Colossus Hammer pairs very well with him.

Tome of Legends:

I have trouble seeing this card not become an instant include in most Commander decks. Like Sol Ring levels.

Command Tower:

The best land for its format, basically. Auto-include almost all the time.

###
And that’s all the cards that I think are worth something in Throne of Eldraine. We’ll see how my predictions play out soon. I’m expecting these new cards to give rise to quite a few new decks and some of them are going to be so much fun to play.

Possibly Related Posts:

• The Far Reaches Reviews: “How It Unfolds” by James S. A. Corey
• The Magnus Protocol Reviews: “Futures”
• Friday Fiction: Talking to A Ghost – Part 3
• What If…? Is A Really Fun Marvel Show
• The Magnus Protocol Reviews: “Getting Off”