Hello everyone and welcome to Kaladesh! This will be my first article of five where I review and rate all the cards in this set and their application to Standard. I’m known as a brewer in Magic and I like to think that I see silver linings in cards that others do not. So you’ll get my thoughts on every card and its potential in Standard. Today we will be going over the Red cards!

But before I do, let me break down my rating system for you.

0 Will never see play in Standard (Geyserfield Stalker)

1 Unlikely to see any play (Isolation Zone)

2 Could see fringe play, or occasional SB card (Caustic Caterpillar)

3 Commonly played. Staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Reflector Mage)

4 Format Staple, sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Sylvan Advocate)

5 Format warping. Every deck plays this, or is built with this card in mind. (Spell Queller/Collected Company)

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive in!

Chandra, Torch of Defiance - 3.5

Okay, I know, 3.5. Why? Hear me out. Chandra is a great planeswalker. I would say she's on the same level of Liliana, the Last Hope. I also believe Gideon, Ally of Zendikar is better than both these walkers and he's a 4. Now the only walker I consider a 5 is Jace, the Mind Sculptor. So now that we know where she ranks, let’s talk about her a bit. She's in colors that historically don't do well with walkers. Red is the worst color to be in if you're a planeswalker and this case is no different. They don’t have great blockers, and traditionally use burn to control creatures. People also don't realize that her +1 will not let you play lands. So she's begging to be played in a control deck. Ramp could play her too but she'll compete with Chandra, Flamecaller. She's fine as an aggro walker but she's no Koth of the Hammer for aggro. Additionally she's kept in check by Gideon and Nissa and she's in the sweet spot to be Spell Quellered. The dredge, emerge, and emrakul decks could care less about Chandra too. She is going to encourage new decks, but effects close to zero of what is left over from last Standard season.

All that aside she's still a walker with 4 very good abilities. She'll commonly be played but you're not going to play her in every deck that plays Red. She'll just add to the, “must pass 4 toughness rule” that Grasp of Darkness has enforced. I expect to see Chandra around a lot the first month or so but she'll die down a little as time passes.

Chandra’s Pyrohelix - 2

Twin Bolt saw minimal play but it did see a moderate amount of Sideboard action. I expect the same for Chandra’s Pyrohelix.

Combustible Gearhulk - 2.5

Not the best Gearhulk but it could see some play. Probably in a Big Red deck or a R/G Ramp deck. Combustible Gearhulk can flip some very big things in Standard, basically any Eldrazi is super scary for the opponent. Would you play multiple Eldrazis in your Dark Confidant deck? No? Well that’s what you're forcing your opponent to do if they choose the option to mill three. If your deck is built correctly this Gearhulk should be drawing you three cards most of the time. Only problem is he also competes with Chandra, Flamecaller and that’s something I don’t want to compete with. Especially since Chandra, Flamecaller decimates all Planeswalkers (hint: your opponent is a Planeswalker), draws you cards (you get to pick this if you want, your opponent has no say so in the matter, unlike the Gearhulk), or wipes the board of small creatures. The reason ithis Gearhulk might see play over Chandra, Flamecaller is only because of Chandra, Torch of Defiance. Can’t have all the Chandras in play thankfully!

Furious Reprisal - 1.5

Way too expensive and sorcery speed. I don’t have much hope for this one.

Harnessed Lightning - 3.5

Energy. So hard to evaluate. Luckily Lightning Strike is not, even if it’s only to creatures. Killing a creature with 1 toughness and making your future Harnessed Lightning kill something with up to 5 toughness is fantastic. Very exciting for aggro or control decks. You can even use any energy left over for anything else in the future, maybe to pump your Voltaic Brawler?

Incendiary Sabotage - 2

Not really exciting, so much mana and an additional costs. While it’s not totally unplayable, it’s pretty close. I’d much rather try and play Kozilek's Return or Radiant Flames.

Inventor’s Apprentice - 3

Kird Ape is good. You gotta build around it but it shouldn’t be too hard to do in an artifact themed set. Just gets easier to turn on the longer it stays in Standard too.

Lathnu Hellion - 2.5

If we have a Red aggressive energy deck in Standard then this is probably your best 3-drop. Need minimal energy to keep it around for a couple turns. It just needs to connect once for it to be worthwhile, anymore than that and you’ve probably got the game in your pocket.

Madcap Experiment - 2

This card has more Modern application than Standard, but it is a great build around me card that is boom or bust . . .  Literally.

Pia Nalaar - 2.5

Red Skyspawner but legendary. However it does have a very nice mana sink mid game. This will pop up here and there in aggressive shells.

Ruinous Gremlin - 2

Not a exciting rate, but killing artifacts will be important we are in Kaladesh afterall. Usually Red has better ways to kill artifacts though.

Salviating Gremlins - 1.5

Potential combo card if you can put a mass number of artifacts onto the battlefield. Maybe tokens? It’s no Kiln Fiend but also not totally unplayable.

Skyship Stalker - 1.5

Lots of mana, lots of abilities. We probably have a better finisher elsewhere, but people will try it. I’m scared to play Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet because it has 4 toughness, however the upside is huge when you untap with Kalitas. This one costs the same amount of mana and dies to more things.

Speedway Fanatic - 3

2/1 haste for two is always playable. He’s a (drag racing) star in vehicle decks.

Start your Engines - 2

Vehicles aren’t cheap and need to be crewed to do anything. This better win you the game when you cast it, otherwise what’s the point?

Territorial Gorger - 2

Restrictive for an energy card and it’s a 2/2 for 4 mana that needs other things for it to be good, I’ll personally pass. All that being said I’d be terrified if my opponent untapped with this and had a full grip.

Terror of the Fairgrounds - 1

More like Cutie of the Fairgrounds. This thing is adorable.

Thriving Grubs - 2

Good for a Red energy deck!

Welding Sparks - 1

I don’t see this card seeing play when we already have so many great 2 mana burn spells that deal this card’s base damage and do something else. Need something gimmicky for this to have a shot, like Stuffy Doll. Even then, I’d personally pass.

Demolish - 1.5

Nothing exciting but it can be a decent sideboard card to deal with pesky lands or artifacts. Nobody is happy to play this card but it sees play when we have nothing else.

Cathartic Reunion - 3

Great draw spell for decks going a bit bigger, mega boost to delirium. Can we ban Golgari Grave Troll in Modern again? Thanks . . . 

Reckless Fireweaver - 2

Comes from the same town as Salivating Gremlins. They want to be played together. If Thermo-Alchemist can see play, this has some sort of shot too.

Spark of Creativity - 2.5

One of the better draw/removal spells for Red. Almost every deck will want a couple of these. Rarely a dead card.

Brazen Scourge - 2

Boggart Ram-Gang was a staple back in its day. If energy turns out to be bad then this will be very solid.

Aethertorch Renegade - 2

Providing four energy for 3 mana isn’t bad, but with subpar stats and an energy hungry ability, he’s better left for Limited.

Built to Smash - 2.5

Giant Growth effects aren’t “bad,” it just takes a very aggressive deck to want to use them. This does give trample if you’re (metal) working with artifacts, so it’s a playable card as a 1 mana instant. I’m sure I’ll lose to this once or twice either way.

Fateful Showdown - 2

The effect actually isn’t bad, but 4 mana to replace all the cards in your hand and burn something or someone for everything you pitched is a lot. Great effect for an aggro deck, but the cost is too high. Decks with higher curve don’t want to discard things randomly.

Giant Spectacle - 2

Madcap Skills saw a tiny bit of Standard play, so I’d give this about the same shot if a hyper aggressive Red deck showed up.

Hijack - 2

The ability to take artifacts is nice. Threaten effects are always playable, and this comes with additional upside at the cost of swapping a generic mana for a Red.

Maulfist Doorbuster - 1

Knock, knock . . .  too much mana.

Quicksmith Genius - 2

This guy would be sweet if he was like a 1/4. A 3/2 is more aggressive for sure, but I’d want to loot multiple times, so higher toughness would help.

Renegade Tactics - 2

We’re approaching a critical mass of 1 mana Blue and Red cantrips for Stormchaser Mage type decks. I wouldn’t have any idea if they’re good, but it should be on your radar.

Spireside Infiltrator - 1

Keep this one in mind for crewing vehicles in Two-Headed Giant at your Prerelease.

Spontaneous Artist - 1.5

Powerful effect, but thank goodness they put it on a Hill Giant.

Wayward Giant - 1

Red creatures having more toughness than power? Power creep at it’s finest. Back in 1993 this would have cost . I’M ON TO YOU WIZARDS.

Top 3 Red cards in Kaladesh

1 - Chandra, Torch of Defiance

2 - Harnessed Lightning

3 - Cathartic Reunion

LANDS

Enemy Fastlands - 3.5

Very good lands that will be all over the place in Standard and they will all make some sort of splash in Modern.

Inventors’ Fair - 3

One of in a lot of decks. Gaining one life every turn adds up fairly quickly. Being able to cash in your land for a spell is always fantastic. Only thing keeping this card in check is its Legendary status. I expect it to see play in Modern in Lantern Control and Affinity.

Sequestered Stash - 2.5

Self mill is so hot right now, but 4 mana is a lot. It does Academy Ruins any artifact though, so that’s notable.

Aether Hub - 4

Best land in the set. Strictly Better than Tendo Ice Bridge. Every energy deck will want to play some number of these lands. It fixes mana for a turn, it boosts your spells, boosts your artifacts, and it can boosts your creatures too. The better energy is the better this card gets.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you’ve gained something from this article. Join me tomorrow as we go over the Green and Multicolored cards!

Ali Aintrazi

@Alieldrazi