You're back, I'm back, the dinosaurs are back, the lost city of Orazca is back too! Most importantly, my set review is back and this week we'll be going over the cards in Rivals of Ixalan. Every day this week, Gathering Magic will have a set review article up, so make sure to check back in daily to familiarize yourself with the playability of the new cards in Standard and see which ones you want to pick up.

Before we begin reviewing the cards let's go over some things. I will not be reviewing cards I believe will not see play in Standard. For example, cards like Divine Verdict and Imperial Ceratops will be omitted since they are just Limited cards and me saying, "This is just a Limited card" repeatedly gets old rather fast. Don't worry though, I will be covering all the rare and mythic cards in the set. So, if you like a certain rare or mythic, it will be mentioned in the review.

Before we begin, let's go over my grading scale. Keep in mind I'm rating all these cards for Standard playability. I will also mention Modern applications if the card has any. Before we dive in, let's go over my grading scale.

RATING -- Explanation -- Standard Examples

0 -- Will never see play in Standard. (0 ratings are not listed).

1 -- Unlikely to see play. (Dubious Challenge)

2 -- Could see fringe play, or is an occasional sideboard card.(Authority of the Consuls, Deadlock Trap)

3 -- Commonly played, staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Harnessed Lightning, Abrade)

4 -- Format staple, sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Torrential Gearhulk, Vraska's Contempt, Glorybringer)

5 -- Standard all-star. When building a deck, you keep this card in mind. If you're playing this color you have this card in your main deck or at the very least, in your sideboard. (The Scarab God, Hazoret the Fervent, Chandra, Torch of Defiance)

Shall we begin?

	3 -- This is Ixalan's version of Silkwrap. While this removal spell isn't exciting, removal is removal. This will be a common staple in Standard and is a welcome addition.
	2 -- I originally thought this vampire had flying. It's a decent Fiend Hunter variant. Does the increased cost warrant the attack trigger ability? I don't think so, in my opinion, this is just a worse Hostage Taker / Ravenous Chupacabra. It is tribal though and that could be good enough.
	2 -- I like cards like this. They give you options and are great in your sideboard if Vampires become a thing. Side rant. Versions of this card like Abrade, Dromoka's Command, and Kolaghan's Command in Standard are too oppressive for the respective artifact/enchantment they destroy. When Dromoka's Command was in Standard you couldn't play one or two enchantments in your deck. Abrade is an excellent removal spell but shuts down a ton of set artifacts we could be playing in Standard. I believe if you're going to tack on random artifact/enchantment destruction to a card, then make it have a converted mana cost of four or more. Utter End, Nahiri, the Harbringer, and Vraska, Relic Seeker are excellent examples of this. Cards like Abrade stifle you from playing cards like Primal Amulet or Azor's Gateway. Same is true of Dromoka's Command. We had Starfield of Nyx in that format, and if Dromoka's Command was popular, you really couldn't play Starfield of Nyx. Okay, that's my side rant on cards that have multiple options. I hope someone reads this.
	2 -- A shifted White Nettle Sentinel. A 2 mana 3/3 is fine, but that's not where you want to be. Longtusk Cub can easily be a 3/3 or bigger AND it untaps. That being said, Famished Paladin,could be sweet in Modern. In Modern he combos with Resplendent Mentor to gain you as much life as you want. If you give Famished Paladin Lifelink and equip him with a Viridian Longbow, he'll deal infinite damage. Pewpewpew!
	2 -- Vampire Doomed Traveler? Traditionally, Lifelink isn't as good as flying, but it could be here. This is because Vampires of Ixalan let you do a lot of things with your life. Think Arguel's Blood Fast or Paladin of Atonement. It also gives you something when your battlefield is cleared with something like Fumigate.
	2 -- Found a way to lose life each turn, and Paladin of Atonement grows quickly. Arguel's Blood Fast, Adanto Vanguard, and Shefet Dunes are all solid ways to do that.
	1.5 -- A Glorious Anthem with upside if I gain the City's Blessing? Eh? It's too bad this competes with Oketra's Monument. While this is a cool card, I can't imagine a scenario where you'd play Radiant Destiny over Oketra's Monument. Especially since the Monument works so well with all your creatures and Legion's Landing.
	2.5 -- Savannah Lions, how far you've come. Savannah Lions used to be a rare! Skymarcher Aspirant is obviously great turn one in your aggressive White deck. Pair it with token generators like the fore mentioned Oketra's Monument and Legion Conquistador and you'll have a flying vampire in no time!
	3 -- I'm not too excited about this card but it will be played. I really wish it exiled the creatures so that it would kill The Scarab God for good. It's still a great answer to Hazoret and if a dinosaur decks pops up, Slaughter the Strong will be an excellent answer. I like this card a lot more than Bontu's Last Reckoning.
	1 -- Silence saw no play in Standard. I don't see this one getting played either. It's flavorful to have Azor, the Lawbringer in play and then cast Sphinx's Decree before you tap out to Sphinx's Revelation. If you have an active Azor, the Lawbringer, you're doing completely fine, you don't need no stinkin' Azorius decree!
	2 -- This card will be in sideboards of creature decks playing White. I'm not sure it's good enough for main decks but it's an excellent card to have against Ramunap Red.
	1 -- You could play this long neck and follow it up with an Hour of Devastation! No, not feeling that? Me either. Like Sara from the Land Before Time said, "Three Horns never play with long necks."
	1.5 -- So, I must pay 5 mana for a 5/5 and then find a way to deal it damage myself so that I can exile a creature my opponent controls . . .  Then if they kill my Trapjaw Tyrant, they get all the stuff back? Pass. If that wasn't enough, this creature curves perfectly into your opponent's Vraska's Contempt, Hostage Taker, and Ravenous Chupacabra. The real trap is having this dinosaur in your Standard deck.
	2 -- So many abilities. ALL THE ABILITIES! A powerful card to reanimate with Liliana, Death's Majesty, The Scarab God, or God-Pharaoh's Gift. If you're plan is to hard cast this thing, why aren't you playing Wakening Sun's Avatar or Zacama, Primal Calamity? It is a sweet Commander, or you can delve it away with Soulflayer in Modern.

Top 3 White Cards

White hasn't been seeing a lot of play in Standard. Some of it is due to it being a non-energy color. We see White getting play in Approach decks, but outside of those decks, it's rare. I'm doubtful we'll have a tier one vampire deck and some of that is due to White just not having good cards for creature decks. Oketra's Monument is and will continue to be the reason to play small White creatures, not these vampires from Rivals of Ixalan.

Thanks for reading and make sure you come back tomorrow where we'll be going over more Rivals of Ixalan cards!

Ali Aintrazi

Follow me @AliEldrazi

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