Underrated 2014 cards
Standard forum
Posted on July 30, 2013, 8:54 a.m. by harrydemon117
So what is everyone's call for most underrated card (either common or uncommon ONLY please) in the new 2014 Core Set?
SevenSeasAgo says... #3
I wouldn't say the Necromancer is underrated. Judging by its price, people are quite aware that it a pretty good card. Brad Nelson and Evan Irwin actually talked about it in Aristocrats, since Brads best deck is Aristocrats, and he said it was good, but it's not good enough to take something else out in place of it.
July 30, 2013 9:20 a.m.
This may sound strange but I have to go with Celestial Flare . It hoses any strategy that involves attacking with only a small number of creatures at a time.
July 30, 2013 9:30 a.m.
DjinnjerVitis says... #6
Brave the Elements . rediculous utility in mono white or any ravnica guild that shares the color.
July 30, 2013 9:33 a.m.
RussischerZar says... #7
Posts a discussion naming "(either common or uncommon ONLY please)", the card he picks himself is a rare.
-ahem-
If we're doing rare then I'm going with Ogre Battledriver
.
If not, Time Ebb or Brave the Elements .
July 30, 2013 10:25 a.m.
Young Pyromancer I think is pretty good especially if you have an Ogre Battledriver out...
July 30, 2013 10:48 a.m.
I would have to go with brave the elements as well. It's so useful in my soldier deck
July 30, 2013 10:49 a.m.
as for underrated id go for :
Barrage of Expendables this is a variation from other cards but still good maybe to play with Young Pyromancer
Warden of Evos Isle could be like a warchief for flying creatures
Staff of the Flame Magus made me win a game in magic online does more than i thought it would
July 30, 2013 11:43 a.m.
I agree with Celestial Flare . That is standard playable, gives effective removal to white, and dominated for me at an m14 draft. I drafted b/a and that was an all-star whenever I had it in hand. As for Xathrid Necromancer , he is not appr proprietor for this post bc it asked for common and uncommon only, plus he is a key part of a top their deck currently. Not underrated at all. He is the cornerstone of the B/W humans archetype right now and I think we will see more of him post rotation when the aristocrats lose some stuff and need to find some more triggers to abuse.
July 30, 2013 12:19 p.m.
Blessing is one that looks promising. White firebreathing? That's pretty boss.
July 30, 2013 12:46 p.m.
More than just white Fire Breathing, as it gets +1/+1, not just +1/+0.
Angelic Accord may be under rated, as it can severely cause an advantage swing when it hits the board... that's my impression from seeing it win in a number of drafts... not sure if that will equate to anything in Standard.
I have a fun deck that uses it...: Witchy Angels.
It was thrown together for fun, but if the Angelic Accord hits the field, they need to get rid of it right away.
July 30, 2013 1:08 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #14
Oops RussischerZar you are right! I started posting something, had to go to a meeting, and then came back to finish the post (guess I shouldn't start something and then not finish it right away)
Going with the common/uncommon theme I originally intended, I think Celestial Flare IS a bit underrated. It gives white another answer to Bant Auras before Supreme Verdict is online.
July 30, 2013 3:12 p.m.
The problem with Blessing is still the same as it was 20 years ago when it was in Alpha: it requires a full commitment to white (probably mono-white) and white simply has better cards to do the same sort of thing. Even when a lot of us where playing White Weenie decks in 1994, when we had a lot fewer tools at our disposal, we never used Blessing . Now that removal is much more rampant than it was then, you're basically asking for a 2-for-1.
I think one to watch for that isn't on anyone's radar yet is Encroaching Wastes . It turns out Mutavault is a thing even in non-slivers decks.
July 30, 2013 3:27 p.m.
I have to agree with Celestial Flare . I picked up two copies in a draft, did BW fliers with a splash of extort. Playing slowly would only tip the scale towards me, and when they dropped a game winning bomb, I would play the flare against it.
July 30, 2013 4:04 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #17
Celestial Flare to me seems more of a card vs Hexproof decks that look to only attack with the one creature with "pants" on it. Of course it's going to always nab a creature anyway vs aggro. Pretty versatile card if you ask me :)
July 30, 2013 4:08 p.m.
Not sure if Renounce the Guilds is already very popular, but I enjoy my three foil copies in the sb at most FNM's I attend, it hits half of naya blitz/gruul aggro burning-tree's and cackler's, ghor-clans, Boros Reckoner , Ral Zarek , both aristocrats, both trolls, it even takes out Assemble the Legion .
July 30, 2013 4:10 p.m.
I agree that it's underrated but that's not an M14 card.
July 30, 2013 5:37 p.m.
The thing I like about Celestial Flare is the ability to get an efficient cast out of it during a 'timing' that people tend to forget about...
Example:
During a draft game, my opponent knew I had Celestial Flare in hand (because I used Archaeomancer to return it).
Opponent had Kalonian Hydra , currently a 4/4 as it was cast last turn, and a Predatory Sliver . I had a the Archaeomancer , and a Capashen Knight , with only 2 Plains untapped for mana.
Knowing that I had the Flare, he attacked with his Kalonian Hydra and his Predatory Sliver , to that if I cast the Flare he could sac the Sliver.
He was expecting me to block the Sliver with Knight, pump, pump the knight to kill the sliver with Firststrike, and eat the 8 damage.
He was partially right I double blocked the Sliver, and didnt pump the knight. We traded the Knight for the Sliver, and I took the 8 damage (as he expected)...
Then after the damage was complete, I cast Celestial Flare , forcing him to sac the Kalonian Hydra . He wasn't expecting it, as very few spells are ever cast after damage, but before end of combat.
He even called a Judge, as he wasn't sure it could be done... but it can. :)
....Unfortunately, I still lost a few turns later.
July 30, 2013 6:44 p.m.
Wall of Frost I feel could be used so well, especially with how much aggro is played in FNM, and how he can stall out huge creatures for what could be an important extra turn.
July 31, 2013 3:39 a.m.
detentionsphere says... #22
Probably Essence Scatter , since Cavern doesn't see much play anymore.
August 1, 2013 12:26 a.m.
amishrambo says... #23
it may take rotation but Vastwood hydra maybe will find his home
August 1, 2013 12:41 a.m.
Stone_Munkee says... #24
Path of Bravery seems hardcore sleeper, but otherwise Celestial Flare and Blessing are gunna find a home in constructed I think
August 1, 2013 12:47 a.m.
untranslated says... #25
For underrated commons and uncommons
Deviant Glee - so good for 1 mana.Kalonian Tusker - 2 mana 33 on a green deck.Unflinching Courage - might not be so much "underrated" Boros Elite - will always be a 3/3 in an boros aggro deckWall of Frost - really turtles a game for the blue and blue black player, cant really burn it to death with 7 toughess. Have to remove or bounce it.Spike Jester - even in my 10cent deth deck they where doing more good amounts of damage every game I played them.Viashino Firstblade - 4/4 that you can bounce yourself with legions initiative. Very usefull
August 16, 2013 10:51 a.m.
@untranslated: Only two of the cards you mentioned is from M14.
But I largely agree, though they are all rather situational.
Messenger Drake is very decent in limited, as is Quag Sickness - especially if you want to get rid of two creatures, and you also have a Liturgy of Blood . These cards are obviously very underwhelming compared to what is available in even Standard, but in Limited, they are excellent cards.
August 16, 2013 11:31 a.m.
untranslated says... #27
@ dallie, sorry I just see them all as available until m14 falls away :D.
August 16, 2013 11:48 a.m.
SharuumNyan says... #28
I second Encroaching Wastes . It's also great against Kessig Wolf Run .
As for Celestial Flare ...I thought this would be a great card, but it never worked out for me in the end. I love drawing it in draft, but in standard it's kinda meh.
I have a lot of hopes for Tidebinder Mage in Modern, but haven't tried it out yet.
August 16, 2013 11:59 a.m.
i dont get it , i thought Celestial Flare would be the new Wing Shards ....
August 16, 2013 12:02 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #30
Aaaannndd....apparently I can't read instructions, because you only wanted commons and uncommons. So, strike Tidebinder Mage from the list.
August 16, 2013 12:05 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #31
LOl it's ok I did it on my own post as well.
I agree about Encroaching Wastes . I started seeing this card in action in a Trading Post list and I've got to tell ya once lands start hitting the garbage while you still keep some of your other sources for producing mana you can take over a game rather easily.
Of course, this is for Standard and not limited as EW is not good in limited. Quag Sickness save my hide quite a few times when someone enchanted one of their creatures with Indestructibility
August 19, 2013 9:24 a.m.
I would say Celestial Flare , except I don't think it's underrated. I think it's value is obvious: great for U/W against early aggression and ideal for dealing with hexproof auras. I just got some boosters and 3x went into my sideboard American Control deck.
It's really hard to predict because we don't know what's coming in September. Let's see other cards that haven't been mentioned that might be interesting, just Brainstorm ing here: Banisher Priest once Innistrad rotates, Corrupt perhaps? one guy at my LGS has made a build centered around it, Shrivel as a black wrath? -probably not, maybe Chandra's Outrage after rotation (it seems like removal for red is difficult if you're not Boros, I want to like Dragon Egg but it's no Rukh Egg so forget it, Lightning Talons seems to have a place for hexproof but I guess Madcap Skills is better, Bramblecrush as a possible sideboard card?, I've seen Gladecover Scout in some hexproof aura decks, Fireshrieker I just feel this has a place in aggro decks once Silverblade Paladin is gone, Encroaching Wastes definitely, and maybe Shimmering Grotto since we're losing the M13 duals. Anyway, who knows? These are uncommon/common cards that caught my eye as a scrolled through the spoiler list. I'm probably wrong on a number of them.
August 19, 2013 12:47 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #34
In terms of commons and uncommons (because I apparently am having issues with reading instructions today), I'd look at Celestial Flare .
August 19, 2013 12:55 p.m.
i dont think Burning Earth is underrated it sees play in mono-red aggro sideboard. its great since multi-color decks run so mana duals/shocklands atm. 3-color can runs full playsets of each to 24lands. 4+color even if seen less run tons to help with the amount of fixing needed in those.
with this said i think the use of Burning Earth will drop(or atleast lower) if no new color fixers will show and we be forced to run basics.(even if i dont think that will realy happen)
August 19, 2013 12:56 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #36
There will be dual lands in Theors, but a "special" kind of dual lands (probably mana fixers) instead.
With that being said, Burning Earth is good but it's a rare and not common/uncommon.
Let me add another stipulation...what's your favorite LIMITED common/uncommon from 2014?
August 19, 2013 3:39 p.m.
Awaken the Ancient i think this guy in limited should be awesome! IMO
August 19, 2013 3:55 p.m.
Limited favourite is probably Quag Sickness or Liturgy of Blood . I don't feel like counting Doom Blade as that has a league of its own as removal.
harrydemon117 says... #2
My vote is going to Xathrid Necromancer for an Aristocrats deck
July 30, 2013 9:08 a.m.