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We're back with another core set and Magic 2019 does not disappoint! So many sweet cards and build around me cards. This set also has cards for older formats like Alpine Moon and Isolate. Along with a handful of sweet dragons and one of my favorite cards ever, Omniscience. Today, we'll just be going over the White cards in M19.
I will not be going over cards that I believe will not see play in Standard. For example, cards like Aegis of the Heavens and Gideon's Reproach will be omitted since they are just Limited cards and 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.
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 given a rating of 1-5. If a card would receive a 0, meaning it will see no play in that format ever, it's 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. (Dubious Challenge)
2 -- Could see fringe play, or occasional sideboard card. (Authority of the Consuls)
3 -- Commonly played, staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Harnessed Lightning, Cast Down)
4 -- Format staples. Sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Heart of Kiran, Abrade, Seal Away)
5 -- Format warping. If you're in these colors, you play that card. (Goblin Chainwhirler, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria)
Let's begin!
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4 -- This card is good. I personally think it's the best planeswalker in the set. Permanently growing your small creatures is a terrific way to get out of Lightning Strike range while applying a ton of pressure to your opponent. Being able to just reanimate two small creatures like Knight of Grace, Servant of the Conduit, Longtusk Cub, Glint-Sleeve Siphoner, Gifted Aetherborn, Kitesail Freebooter, Merfolk Branchwalker, and a bunch of other small creatures is great. Ajani makes board wipes not nearly as backbreaking when he's on the battlefield. Of course, his ultimate just ends the game by making a million tiny tokens. |
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2 -- I like having this as way to punish discard, but trying to make a 4/4 flying avatar the normal way isn't worth the main deck slot. A card I imagine will see sideboard play if discard becomes a thing now or in the future. |
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2 -- Ajani's Pridemate has seen Standard play before and if we have enough incidental life gain, I imagine it will see play again. |
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2 -- A good curve is to play Ajani's Welcome into Ajani's Pridemate, netting you a 3/3 that will continuously grow when you play a creature. This card is similar to Soul Warden / Soul's Attendant, but it just sucks that Ajani's Welcome is only one your side of the battlefield. This obviously stifles its power level and why I'm giving it a two. |
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3 -- This will be the new go to battlefield wipe, especially after Fumigate rotates out of the format. Having the option to kill random artifacts and enchantments makes it relevant in the mirror match too. Destroying Search for Azcantas, Cast Outs, and Seal Aways is valuable, especially if you're destroying multiple. |
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2 -- This card will see more play in older formats, as far as Standard it might see play in Sideboards but outside of the that, it has no shot. |
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2 -- A different Captain of the Watch. Unlike Captain of the Watch, Lena asks that you have some other creatures laying around. She's also bad to play after a board wipe. She can also be killed with her trigger on the stack and create no tokens. That's not good for a 6-drop. Too mana intensive and not enough impact for my taste. |
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3 -- Reminds me of Hero of Bladehold and that card saw play even when Jace, the Mind Sculptor was legal. Jace could Unsummon Hero of Bladehold turn after turn, but just untapping and attacking once or twice was enough to close games out. I feel like Leonin Warleader will be not as backbreaking as Hero of Bladehold but still very good. |
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2 -- A wonderful way to draw cards of your small creatures and tokens, I would play Mentor in my sideboard for attrition matchups, I'd rather have something like Oketra's Monument main deck, even if I'm not Mono-White. |
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2.5 -- Militia Bugler just creates value like Ranger of Eos. It also comes attached to a decent body. WithOketra's Monument he only costs 2 mana, maybe we'll see a revival of that deck. However, Goblin Chainwhirler is one heck of a Magic card. |
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2.5 -- Really good stats for a 1-drop. I like Novice Knight in some sort of   cartouche deck with Ajani. Just get in little points of damage while being able to hold up countermagic and having Ajani as a way to apply more pressure and fight against board wipes. |
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3 -- A maindeckable way to exile graveyards! Remorseful Cleric is the hero we've been asking for. I expect to see this spirit in all sorts of White weenie decks and even the sideboard of White midrange and control decks. |
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3.5 -- Competes a little with History of Benalia but curves very well into Shalia, Voice of Plenty, and then Lyra Dawnbringer. MONO-WHITE ANGELS IS A GO! Only downside is having your 3-drop trade for a Lightning Strike or an Abrade, where History of Benalia would be better against those cards. This card will still see play, it's great early and late game it will start making 4/4 angels, very powerful. |
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2 -- I wish this had something else instead of, "can't be blocked by Red creatures" because you usually don't want to attack with your Kitchen Finks against Red decks. I'm not even sure how good of a Sideboard card this will be. It's obviously insane on curve, but it gets outclassed pretty easily by Goblin Chainwhirler, Hazoret the Fervent, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, and Glorybringer. |
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2 -- Maybe Sideboard card in Standard but this was printed more so for Modern and Legacy. I really like that they are printing cards like this and Isolate to try and impact older formats. It makes new sets appealing for Standard players and Eternal players. |
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2.5 -- My gut tells me that this just costs too much, and you'd rather be playing Leonin Warleader but this Valiant Knight can kill you out of nowhere with History of Benalia and then activating the ability to give your knights double strike. |
Top 5 White Cards
These are the Top Five cards in White, but we still have some leftover playables. Cards like Novice Knight and Militia Bugler could very easily see play. White looks really good from M19. It continues to be an excellent support color and possible a main color with Resplendent Angel, Ajani, and Leonin Warleader.
That's it for today friends, tune in tomorrow as we go over the Blue cards in M19!
Until then,
Ali Aintrazi
Follow me @AliEldrazi
