Locations
Kaldheim is legal and today we start my set review. With Kaldheim we got a ton more sagas and more gods! We even got the sweet foretell mechanic and more modal double-faced cards! Wondering how Kaldheim will impact Standard? Let us find out! Before we do that though, let us go over how I will be ranking the cards!
I will not be going over cards that I believe will not see play in Standard and I will not be going over the Commander cards that will not see Standard play. For example, cards like Goldmaw Champion and Master Skald will be omitted since they are just Limited cards and saying, "This is just a Limited card" repeatedly gets old rather fast. Do not worry though, I will be covering all the rare and mythic cards in the actual Kaldheim set. So, if you like a certain rare or mythic, it will be mentioned in the review.
Keep in mind I'm rating all these cards for Standard playability. I will mention Modern applications if I believe the card has some.
Each card will be listed by color, then alphabetically by name.
Each card will be given a rating of 1-5. If a card would receive a 0, meaning it will see no play in that format ever, its rating is left off the list.
Rating | Explanation | Standard Examples
0 - Will never see play in this format (0 ratings are not listed).
1 - Unlikely to see play. (Divine Gambit)
2 - Could see fringe play, or occasional sideboard card. (Disdainful Stroke, Annul, Erebos's Intervention, Shadow's Verdict)
3 - Commonly played, staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Righteous Valkyrie, Behold the Multiverse, Solemn Simulacrum)
4 - Format staples. Sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Saw it Coming, Fabled Passage, Bonecrusher Giant)
5 - Format warping. If you are in these colors, you play that card or keep that card in mind when building decks. (Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Embercleave, The Great Henge)
Now that we have that out of the way, let's begin!
White
 |
Divine Gambit - 1 - Divine Gambit is an extremely risky card to play. It is cheap, but you cannot afford to play it early and risk your opponent putting in whatever they want. This card is good when your opponent has no cards in hand but by that time, you should be already in a good spot. Being Sorcery speed also really hurts. At least if it were an instant you could do it at your opponent's end step and then clear the battlefield on your turn. |
 |
Doomskar - 4 - The best wrath we have had in a while and it gets my vote for second best wrath of all time, right behind Supreme Verdict. Having access to a board wipe on turn three is super crucial against aggressive strategies. You can play tricks with this card by playing other foretell cards like Behold the Multiverse. Your opponent will not know what you foretold and will have to decide if they should play around Doomskar or commit more to the battlefield. So, foretelling a Behold the Multiverse or Saw it Coming may make your opponent not play more creatures and that could be the difference of losing or winning at one life. |
 |
Glorious Protector - 3 - Restoration Angel was a format all-star. While Glorious Protector has flash and the same body as Restoration Angel, that is where the similarities end. Restoration Angel applies pressure and gains you value. Protector is a lot more defensive and could take away pressure if you exile some creatures. It is still a great flash creature and I could see it being played along Brazen Borrower and Shark Typhoon for a   Flash deck. |
 |
Halvar, God of Battle - 2.5 - Halvar is an interesting card and will end the game if you are ahead or do truly little if you are behind. He is best in an aggressive deck, but White aggressive decks are going to want to keep the mana curve low and splash for Showdown of the Skalds. Halvar will be fun to play but I doubt he becomes a staple. |
 |
Rally the Ranks - 2.5 - Two-mana anthems are particularly good, but Rally is extremely narrow. Angels do not need an anthem since the creatures have higher converted mana cost thus more power and toughness. Do not think we even have enough good warriors so that leaves humans? This is a mission for Craig Wescoe! |
 |
Reidane, God of the Worthy - 3 - The only punishment for snow basics in the set. Reidane puts an extremely hefty tax on non-creature spells with converted mana cost four or more and because the ability is one sided, that means you can easily just jam Reidane in your Collected Company decks. Reidane is an excellent way to get your Doomskar opponent to play Doomskar no earlier than turn five. I am also a fan of Valkmira; it's a great way to stem the bleeding against Red or token decks while just turning off your opponent's combo (looking at you Tendrils of Corruption) in older formats. |
 |
Resplendent Marshal - 2 - Three-mana 3/3 that may pump your other creature tribe? Not a fan of this lord at all. It's not doing enough. |
 |
Righteous Valkyrie - 3 - Speaking of lords, Righteous Valkyrie can pump your entire team +2/+2 and does not care what tribe you are playing once you are at or above 27 life! Cards like Benalish Marshal are excellent because it is an anthem on a decent body and while this Valkyrie may take more setting up, the rewards you reap are massive. Another card to note that is a good Collected Company hit! |
 |
Runeforge Champion - 2 - This card reminds me of Setessan Champion but slightly worse, and because Setessan Champion saw no competitive play, I have extraordinarily little hope for our dwarf friend here. You could play them together and draw all the cards, that would be fun! |
 |
Search for Glory - 2.5 - One of the better tutors to date; I'm looking at you Grim Tutor. Instead of losing life you will gain life and life gain on cards like these is so important as it gives you that extra time you need to play the card you grab. I'm a fan. |
 |
Sigrid, God-Favored - 2.5 - Sigrid is no Skyclave Apparition, but she is excellent in combat, especially since she has First Strike. You will get to exile that small Red creature while First Striking down a Robber of the Rich. No, your opponent does not have a burn spell to kill her! |
 |
Spectral Steel - 2 - This card will be used in some sort of deck that mills itself. The graveyard ability is what makes this card playable, we just do not really have an aura or equipment worth returning at the moment. |
 |
Starnheim Unleashed - 2.5 - Serra Angel is still not good enough when it costs 4 mana. This card is really only okay when it is played for its Foretell cost meaning if you top deck it late game, you still need to wait another turn before you can cast it for its foretell cost. Not a fan of this card; if you want a good 4/4 angel then just play Firja's Retribution. I like that one a lot more, especially since you can recur it with Yorion. In a control deck, I would rather play Emeria's Call since it does a similar thing and does not take up a deck slot. |
 |
Usher of the Fallen - 3.5 - White Weenie really needed a good one-mana 2/1 and welcomes Usher of the Fallen with open arms. These types of cards are simple, but they are make or break for good aggressive White decks. |
