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*Editor’s Note: This review was written before the banning of Felidar Guardian, so there are several mentions of the card and Saheeli Combo throughout. Emergency bans, am I right?*
Welcome back! We’re really mowing through these, aren’t we? After today we’ll only have the Green, multicolored, and artifact cards to go over and they will all be in one article tomorrow. Well you know the drill, let’s go over my rating system and then get to evaluating!
0 — Will never see play in this format (0 ratings are not listed).
1 — Unlikely to see play (Hedron Alignment)
2 — Could see fringe play, or occasional sideboard card (Negate)
3 — Commonly played. Staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Tireless Tracker)
4 — Format Staple, sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Heart of Kiran)
5 — Format warping. Every deck plays this, or is built with this card in mind. (Gideon, Ally of Zendikar)
Ahn-Crop Crasher — 2.5
Goblin Heelcutter saw play in Standard and it was very similar to this card. If we have a hyper aggressive Red deck then I expect to see this card in that deck.
Battlefield Scavenger — 2
It's interesting that these triggers when you exert any creature. While interesting, I don't think it's good enough just because it doesn't really go into any deck. Aggressive decks don't want it and decks that do want to cycle through their deck or fill their graveyard have better options.
Blazing Volley — 2
Possible niche sideboard card if an aggressive deck with many X/1s pops up. Not really good anywhere else.
Bloodlust Inciter — 2.5
Gideon's Lawkeeper saw competitive play and while this isn't Lawkeeper, it's on the same wavelength, just on the opposite side. Giving thinks like Bloodrage Brawler or Combat Celebrant haste is brutal and can quickly end the game. Again, if we have a red aggressive deck then I expect to see this in it.
Bloodrage Brawler — 2.5
Another good aggressive creature. The "drawback" on this minotaur you could easily change into a plus with things like Scrapheap Scrounger or Fiery Temper. Two mana 4/3 is almost as good as a two mana 4/4 flying vigilance creature (Heart of Kiran) why not play eight four-power 2-drops?!
Brute Strength — 2
The last two-mana pump spell that saw play in aggressive decks was Temur Battle Rage. This is no Temur Battle Rage but I could see it getting some fringe play.
By Force — 2.5
Solid Sideboard card but competes with Release the Gremlins. Release the Gremlins is still better unless you're trying to destroy more than two artifacts. If you are at most just killing an artifact or two stick to Release the Gremlins, if you're trying to kill more, then I'd make the switch to By Force.
Cartouche of Zeal — 2.5
A sweet card and could definitely see play to give a creature haste or stop an opposing creature from blocking. I still think Red players would rather just have Battlefield Scavenger and Ahn-Crop Crasher, though.
Combat Celebrant — 2.5
They've been trying to make this effect good but not broken for a long time. The closest they've gotten was Aurelia, the Warleader. This is considerably cheaper than Aurelia and doesn't have any color restriction. The tradeoff is no haste and much easier to remove. Something as a Walking Ballista kills it and that's the biggest drawback. Because Saheeli combo is in Standard, a lot of people are going to go to Walking Ballista as their answer to the combo since they can just tap out for it and not worry about it. This will be sweet when it works but I have a feeling it won't be working a majority of the time.
Consuming Fervor — 2
Color shifted Unstable Mutation. This card isn't worth it unless you're really trying to go all in and put all your eggs into one basket. Even if you're doing this you need this early otherwise it doesn't do anything. I personally wouldn't play this unless you can abuse the -1/-1 counters somehow.
Deem Worthy — 3
A fantastic spell and I want to be cycling all the time. It loses points to not killing Felidar Guardian because we can't realistically leave five mana up to kill the cat. If you do, your opponent shouldn't even go for the combo and just grind you out. Wish this did seven to a creature or Planeswalker.
Desert Cerodon — 2.5
If people decide to play Red in the Red cycle control deck then this could see play in that deck as a cheap one-mana cycler. Maybe something like 
Drake Haven control?
Electrify — 1
Flame Lash is just a strictly better version of this card and is legal in Standard. No need to play this one.
Emberhorn Minotaur — 1
Too much mana for this Minotaur. Limited only.
Flameblade Adept — 2
Could see play alongside Bloodrage Brawler but the payoff for this card is low. It's asking a lot for what it gives. Not a fan of it.
Fling — 2
Fling your Gideons and Heart of Kirans at your opponenet! We do have Atog in Standard. This card could see play but you're not doing anything better than Saheeli or Mardu by building this archetype.
Glorious End — 2
Kind of like a reverse Final Fortune. You can use this to counter spells and just anything on the stack. You can also cast one in response to the other one triggering so you lose the game on your next turn. It's super cute and could see play in Sideboards when you just need one more turn against that control player to finish them off.
Glorybringer — 3.5
This will be a staple in the format if something happens to Standard in the future. Right now, though it can't kill Heart of Kiran and gets blocked by Heart of Kiran. If Heart of Kiran is crewed by Veteran Motorist, they don't even trade. Powerful Dragon, but not sure how good it will actually be currently.
Harsh Mentor — 2.5
A great card for older formats and decent in Standard. Can really punish decks that are trying to just durdle with artifacts or creatures. I expect to die to this card more than I'd like.
Hazoret the Fervent — 3
A God that has Haste and makes your late game land draws turn into Shocks? That's good. I'd play one in my aggressive/midrange deck and if you don't want to go this high then I'd play one in my Sideboard.
Hazoret's Favor — 2
You need to be targeting creatures that you can buyback with this or that aren't worth a card. Basically, tokens or things like Scrapheap Scrounger. You got to build around it but it's not worth it for me. Rather just play another creature or burn spell.
Heart-Piercer Manticore — 2
Again, need to be sacrificing tokens or creatures you can recur but that payoff isn't worth the build around in my opinion. Maybe you play it as a singleton in your 
midrange deck so you can fling your 8/8 Gearhulk. If you have an 8/8 Gearhulk though, do you really need to Fling it?
Hyena Pack — 1
Limited card is limited. No way this pack sees the light of Standard play.
Limits of Solidarity — 2
A threaten with cycling is fine to have in the Sideboard. Like Mind Rot, when Threaten doesn't do anything it really sucks. Putting cycling on situational cards like this makes them a lot better.
Magma Spray — 4
A great removal spell because it exiles Scrapheap Scrounger. Even if you hit a Toolcraft Exemplar with it, it will still be good because now they can't exile that Toolcraft Exemplar to bring back Scrapheap Scrounger.
Manticore of the Gauntlet — 1
Fine limited card but not a card I'd play in Constructed.
Minotaur Sureshot — 2
I could see this in the Sideboard of aggressive Red deck is Spirits ever becomes a deck again. Blocking things like Spell Queller and Selfless Spirit and killing them is great.
Nef-Crop Entangler — 1.5
Just play more aggressive creatures than this guy. Scrapheap Scrounger or Bloodrage Brawler.
Nimble-Blade Khenra — 2
My thoughts are the same as above, but this could be a bad Stormchaser Mage 5-6 or something for your prowess deck. I'm trying to be hopeful here!
Pathmaker Initiate — 2
Goblin Tunneler saw play in Standard before. This has a little more power too so it's not embarrassing to attack with it. Could see play in a Red aggressive deck.
Pursue Glory — 1
With or without cycling this is too much for Standard. Just play Hazoret, Chandra, or Glorybringer instead.
Soul-Scar Mage — 2.5
Never mind on Nimble-Blade Khenra. Just play this guy in your Prowess deck. He's much better overall, especially on curve.
Sweltering Suns — 3
This was supposed to be the replacement for Radiant Flames and will be when that card rotates out. Has a hefty cycling cost but it's the staple Red board wipe that shows up in a lot of Sideboards. Since this has cycling it has more of chance to show up in the main deck.
Thresher Lizard — 2
Three mana for a 4/4 isn't bad. It's insuring he's a 4/4 for three mana that is going to be the problem and make him not worth playing.
Tormenting Voice — 3
This card has been in Standard for a while. For as long as it's in Standard it will continue to see play, how much play really depends on the meta.
Trial of Zeal — 2
One of the better trials. To make it worthwhile you really need to be playing some number of Cartouches. I would recommend the White or Blue Cartouche.
Trueheart Twins — 1
Limited only, Standard has Glorybringer.
Violent Impact — 1.5
Better ways to destroy artifacts and Standard doesn't have a land you must destroy like Valakut. I don't expect this one to see play in Standard.
Warfire Javelineer — 2
Can be a bad Flametongue Kavu in that fringe Prowess deck! I don’t know, I just don't see this guy competing with Saheeli or Mardu. Gideon out classes it and Saheeli can just combo kill you.
Insult // Injury — 2
Remember that all in Red deck? I could see it playing one of these just because injury is decent and gives you some reach.
Top 5 Best Red Cards
I’m confident Magma Spray will be the card that sees play the most in Red. It’s extremely solid removal against Scrapheap Scrounger and is just better to play over Shock. Glorybringer does strong this and will see play but will see a lot more play once Gideon rotates out. Same can be said about Sweltering Suns and Radiant Flames. Hazoret stops the Saheeli combo and is just a great threat against slower decks, especially if you’re able to play her with one or fewer cards in hand. Deem Worthy is a solid card, again, really wish it hit Planeswalekrs. It really would solve a lot of problems for us. Even though it doesn’t, it’s still a very good card to cycle and then buyback with Torrential Gearhulk later if you need to kill a creature that isn’t Gideon.
All right everyone, that’s all I got for today. Make sure to tune in tomorrow because we’ll be covering a lot. All the Green cards, artifacts, and lands!
Until then. Thanks for reading,
Ali Aintrazi
@Alieldrazi on Twitter
