by Ronald Be
Hi guys, I’ll offer you my personal take on cards in a limited context. I’ll first start off with White since it’s my favorite color. I didn’t add any grades for the cards because I feel that cards have variable grades and that it ultimately depends on the kind of deck that you have. Also the information given encompasses both Sealed and Draft since I don’t have enough experience with the set to give out precise details on those contexts.
Planeswalkers are generally going to be good. A good Planeswalker needs to affect the board and Ajani makes your creature bigger. Check!
A good Planeswalker provides extra utility. Ajani gives Flying and Double Strike. Check!
A good Planeswalker scares the hell out of you if it Ultimates. Ajani gives you an army of Cats. Check!
This is comparable to Child of Night. It has an extra toughness at the cost of a more color intensive mana cost. This also gets the boost from the exalted mechanic in this set.
Don’t even try to play this. I would play any other card on this list over Angel’s Mercy. It doesn’t affect anything on the board. Hell, I wouldn’t play this even if I had 4 Rhox Faithmender in my deck.
Good way to push damage through versus creature-light decks. Personally, I don’t like this card much because it doesn’t provide the body that a creature with exalted would give you, but it does have some utility if you’re planning to attack with only one creature.
I have to say that I like this card a lot. It provides so much for so little. You get two bodies; it can fit in control and aggressive decks. This is a card that I will never cut from my decks, Ever.
It’s A bird… It’s A plane… Oh wait, it’s really a bird, and one worth playing. This avian creature has multiple uses. It’s an early relevant drop that has evasion and stays useful throughout the game. The only thing this bird doesn’t do well is block.
This is a functional reprint from Shards of Alara and it can fit two kind of decks: an aggressive one or a green-based ramp style kind of deck to fly your fatties over the enemy border.
One word: Bomb.
Even more in this set since it feature quite a bunch of Soldier creatures.
Sure this is no Lingering Souls but for a Core Set, it can pack quite a punch. It combos well with other cards such as Griffin Protector, Crusader of Odric or if you’re really lucky: Sublime Archangel.
It can also substitute as life for more controlling decks.
Worst case scenario: you get a 1/1 for 2W. Best case, you get Tarmogoyf by turn 3-4.
It really saddens me that this card is not as playable as it was with the last Core Set. They didn’t reprint Auramancer, so this greatly reduces its value. I would side it in against aggressive decks and that’s about it.
This card is playable but I prefer Oblivion Ring and Pacifism over this since it doesn’t require you to leave mana open during your opponent’s turn. However, removal is still removal. I wouldn’t play too many of these though…
Play this card if you feel Rancor for your opponent.
I would rank this lower than Safe Passage for two reasons:
the mana cost is higher AND damage is still dealt to you.
You need lots of creatures, else don’t play it.
I really like this card, it can work very well with some other cards like Fungal Sprouting or Captain’s Call. Generally, it’ll attack for three but it can stay on defense if needed since it does have three toughness.
You could potentially rub against them since they are not going to bite neither you nor your opponents. I have to say they do have big butts for lions.
This is one butt I can get behind. Not only does it provide an early defense against aggression but it also gives a boost for your own attacker.
This guy can give your opponent quite a headache if they are the beatdown. Not only does he stop a number of creatures from attacking you, but he also gains you back the life you lost.
It keeps your opponent’s fatties in check. This is great for letting your own fatties through since they won’t have any to block yours.
Solid card, better casting cost than White Knight and can attack for an extra point of damage.
I don’t have to tell you guys to pick this card and for which reasons.
He has a nice body for the mana cost and he also has First Strike. He doesn’t always activate his second ability, but when he does, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See Oblivion Ring.
It’s okay for a 23rd card but it’s not exciting to play a Giant Spider without Reach.
I will always include this card in my deck. Just make sure you don’t have any Oblivion Ring on your side of the table. (Or if you do, that it targets your own permanent)
Regard this as a Canyon Minotaur that can have a bigger body with Trample.
A good Sideboard card against one toughness decks.
I don’t know how to rate this card. It’s a good defensive card.It stops most ground creatures.
The life doubling effect is not really relevant however, in my opinion.
This card makes life so much easier! You simply don’t have to think about combat math anymore. If someone attacks you in a non-profitable way, he (or she) probably has this card under their sleeve.
Sizeable body with evasion, ’nuff said.
I did not have any good experience with this card. At times, I was simply staring at it in my hand, wondering why the hell I added this card to my deck. Other times, it was simply a moderately fat a** that couldn’t get through any damage because my opponents simply chumped her.
Regard this as a smaller version of Serra Angel that can be played a turn earlier.
I like having at least one combat trick in my deck, so that way it leaves my opponent always guessing if I have such a card or not.
23rd card. It’s an okay filler if you need to reduce your curve otherwise I would avoid playing it.
This card basically has haste if you have at least one other creature in play. It has a nice body, a nice price too, so snatch this up if you see it in a draft simply for value.
Let’s consider the worst case scenario. You have 6 lands in play and you can’t cast this.
Done reviewing.
I kid. Imagine if you cast this with 7 lands in play, this means your life total will become at least 8 during your next upkeep. This is not too bad and your life total will simply go higher and higher as turns go by, I wouldn’t include this in aggressive decks because of the cost but mid-range and control decks can make good use of such a card.
With around 10 Soldiers and Knights in M13, I would not take this early, but if you do end up with a good number of those creatures, I would say around 8 to 10 sources in your deck, I would play this.
It’s almost strictly better than Silvercoat Lion. If you get Mindslavered with an Oblivion Ring on your side, it can get ugly but it’s a good thing that Mindslaver was not reprinted in M13.
They should have reprinted Tundra Wolves with the old art. At least, it would’ve had a nostalgic value. This card offers you nothing but it’s still better than Angel’s Mercy.
Brother Of Runes 
Thanks for the information. This should help me with my deck!
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