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Theros: Beyond Death Limited Set Review: Black and Gold

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Welcome back to day three of the Theros: Beyond Death Limited set review. Today I am going to be taking a look at all 41 Black cards as well as the 25 multicolored cards. Each card will be evaluated 1 to 5 based on my prediction for Limited performance.

66 cards is an awful lot, so let's just jump right in.

And be sure to check out the other entries:

White | Blue | Red and Artifacts

Rating - Explanation

1- This card is not making it into any of my Limited decks.

2- Not good, but a necessity for filling your curve and smoothing out your draws.

3- Value cards you are happy filling your deck with.

4- Cards to get excited about and premium removal.

5- Reserved for cards that will win the game if left unanswered.

Black

Agonizing Remorse

Agonizing Remorse - 2.5

Typically I do not enjoy having these effects in my deck. The down side of drawing a dead card mid - late game always seems to outweigh any card in the average opener I might be able to take. I understand this might be personal bias. That said, I think this card is better than the ones we have seen in recent sets, and I am sure this will make it into most Black decks.

Aphemia, the Cacophony

Aphemia, the Cacophony - 4

Easy pack one pick one. Pairs well with Mire's Grasp - the best common in Black. Offers you great board presence, an evasive creature, and good synergy. Powerful and easy to build around.

Aspect of Lamprey

Aspect of Lamprey - 2

Playing four-mana auras is typically not something I want to be doing. This one seems more playble than most with the enters battlefield effect and enchantment recursion. Let's call this card low end filler.

Blight-Breath Catoblepas

Blight-Breath Catoblepas - 3.5

This card should be better than it looks at 1st glance. The -X/-X ability is automatically -2, and I think it will most likely be much better. 6 CMC looks scary, but it will more than give you that value with the built in removal spell. I also like the idea of bringing it back into play with cards like Rise to Glory could be game breaking. Keep in mind that an opponent can kill a permanent in response to lower the effect.

Cling to Dust

Cling to Dust - 1

In the average deck this does not provide the value that I am typically looking for. The escape cost is too high and will not allow you to run many other graveyard dependent cards. I can see sideboarding this in games two and three against real graveyard decks.

Discordant Piper

Discordant Piper - 1.5

Seeing little upside to playing extra sacrifice targets. The stats are really not what I would like to see for any filler. Ideally I am never running this card in my deck.

Drag to the Underworld

Drag to the Underworld - 4.5

Double Black casting cost doesn't seem to be an issue in this set. Casting this as a bb instant speed removal spell is going to feel really good.

Eat to Extinction

Eat to Extinction - 4.5

The amount of premium removal in Black is insane. Honestly not sure I will play any deck without Black in it. I know this is a rare, but it has a great cost and a bonus ability that will allow you to fix draws and fuel your graveyard. Excited to cast this.

Elspeth's Nightmare

Elspeth's Nightmare - 3.5

The set seems to be fairly low to the ground - with the exception of Green. Chapter one shouldn't have trouble finding a reasonable target, while chapter two will be hit or miss because your opponent can see it coming. Chapter three will over-perform even if the other ones fail. This should be able to shut down a lot of synergy decks. I think this will make it into most of my Black decks.

Enemy of Enlightenment

Enemy of Enlightenment - 2.5

The longer I looked at this card, the less I liked it. It still seems like reasonable top end threat that will gain value from removing an opponent's hand over time. If you are casting it on turn six and it is a 2/2 or 3/3 it seems easy enough to remove. The ability triggers on upkeep so opponents will have an entire turn to deal with it before it has a chance to justify the six mana cost. Slight bonus for enchantment synergy.

Erebos, Bleak-Hearted

Erebos, Bleak-Hearted - 5

The gods all seem great. Even when not active this card will have a huge impact on board state. Mythics doing Mythic things.

Erebos's Intervention

Erebos's Intervention - 4.5

More great Black removal. Play this card. Splash this card. Shut down graveyard synergies. Don't be afraid to overkill creatures to play around pump spells.

Final Death

Final Death - 4

Removal! Finally, thought I'd never see any. Exile will be more valuable in this set thanks to Escape and other graveyard synergies.

Fruit of Tizerus

Fruit of Tizerus - 1

This is going to be unplayable in almost every deck. The ability won't be worth fighting for graveyard fuel. I am sure there is a deck in the set that wants this card, but I haven't found it yet.

Funeral Rites

Funeral Rites - 2.5

A fun version of the Black draw spell we see in most decks. Top end filler that I am never unhappy to have. The graveyard fuel bonus will be a massive boost in the right decks.

Gravebreaker Lamia

Gravebreaker Lamia - 4.5

Casting this card is doing all the things I want to do in Limited. A 4/4 body will be solid in the format and it is either pulling out graveyard synergy cards or fueling the ones you already have.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - 3.5

Even though this card is a reprint, it won't be as powerful in this format as it was in the last Theros. We are seeing fewer double black permanents and the card itself has moved up in rarity. This makes it hard to chain multiple for value.

Grim Physician

Grim Physician - 1

1-drop cards tend to have too little impact on a board. I can see this card becoming valuable with good sacrifice synergy, though.

Hateful Eidolon

Hateful Eidolon - 4

Note the card does not say "creature you control". You will be drawing cards for each aura you play on your creatures, but you will also be drawing for cards like Mire's Grasp. Play the best common in the color for 2, kill your dude and draw a card? Yes please!

Inevitable End

Inevitable End - 2

This feels worse than it will end up being in practice. With so much removal in the format you should be able to control the outcome easily enough, but also with so much removal it might not be necessary. Should be better against colors that are not White. This is a card I need to get some games with before I really decide if I like it.

Lampad of Death's Vigil

Lampad of Death's Vigil - 3

I'm generally happy with 1/3s for two mana that do just about anything. They fill a curve nicely and allow me to set up a winning board state. I have not seen many creatures I really want to sacrifice yet, but it's always good as a closer.

Minion's Return

Minion's Return - 2

The added flash ability to this mechanic makes it far more playable than it has been in other sets. Interesting to note that you can actually take an opponent's creature with this card (with other removal or during combat), and that's not something we typically see.

Mire Triton

Mire Triton - 3.5

Always happy to play small deathtouch creatures. This one cost one less than they typically do and it also synergizes well with the self-mill bonus. Love having this in my 2-drop slot.

Mire's Grasp

Mire's Grasp - 4

This is going to be the best Black common, maybe even the best common in the set. It has the same score as Final Death but I would pick Grasp over it. The synergy is incredibly high with this card.

Mogis's Favor

Mogis's Favor - 1.5

I'm not excited to have this card in most decks, but I think it can be really flexible in the right deck. ub fliers is where I want this card, and really nowhere else.

Nightmare Shepherd

Nightmare Shepherd - 5

A four-mana 4/4 with an amazing ability. Any EtB effects will gain a lot of power with this around and it adds double devotion while being an enchantment. Happy to 1st pick this card.

Nyxborn Marauder

Nyxborn Marauder - 2.5

Easy filler card. Will help trigger any synergy you might have with devotion or constellation.

Omen of the Dead

Omen of the Dead - 2.5

The more powerful the deck is the happier I will be playing this Omen. As a whole the omens seem a bit flat, but they go up in value based on all of the different synergies they can provide.

Pharika's Libation

Pharika's Libation - 3

This effect will be more powerful in this format with all the removal. Being able to control the amount of permanents an opponent has will be a lot easier. Also the second enchantment clause might prove to be more valuable.

Pharika's Spawn

Pharika's Spawn - 4.5

Great stats for the mana cost. The long term value of this card is very powerful and will make long games difficult for any deck.

Rage-Scarred Berserker

Rage-Scarred Berserker - 2

Not excited about the text box of this card. At most it will come into play and deal 3-4 damage, but often I expect it won't have any effect. Its stats are fine and I am sure many decks will just need a big idiot.

Scavenging Harpy

Scavenging Harpy - 2

Low stats for a 3-drop. Seems to be a curve filler with a slight ability upside.

Soulreaper of Mogis

Soulreaper of Mogis - 2.5

Sacrifice outlets are nice to have. Its stats are fine for a 3-drop, and it makes opponents use their removal spells awkwardly. They might need to use what they have on this to prevent you gaining card advantage on them.

Temple Thief

Temple Thief - 2

The ability might allow this card to get in under some decks for some final damage, but that seems like a corner case. Most likely 2-drop filler for sealed pools.

Treacherous Blessing

Treacherous Blessing - 2.5

Not seeing a lot of ways to deal with this card easily once it's in play. The value of this card is going to depend a lot on how long and grindy the games get in this format. The faster the deck the better this is.

Tymaret Calls the Dead

Tymaret Calls the Dead - 4

This card is not winning the game on its own, but as an early play it can easily put you in a position of control. It will not be difficult for chapters 1 and 2 to create a zombie. Chapter 3 will help to smooth out future draws. It also adds fuel for any other graveyard synergy you might have. My biggest concern with this card is missing on the 1st chapter.

Tymaret, Chosen from Death

Tymaret, Chosen from Death - 4

Should be one of the strongest uncommon creatures in Black. It's not winning the game on its own, but it will shut down any graveyard synergies. Any extra mana each turn can be used to prevent them from using any graveyard cards in the future. Its early game stats are fine, and can become a very large blocker as the game goes on.

Underworld Charger

Underworld Charger - 2.5

Fits best in a more aggressive / heavy removal deck. This is the type of card that doesn't seem great, but you will find yourself losing to it.

Underworld Dreams

Underworld Dreams - 1

Not going to be playable. Lots of enchantment removal and little upside. Might run in the 3x Gray Merchant of Asphodel + God deck, but that's about it. Can't wait to play it in 2HG though!

Venomous Hierophant

Venomous Hierophant - 2

Having a 3/3 deathtouch seems like overkill. I would rather it was smaller for less mana. The 4-drop slot always has the most filler cards, so I doubt this is making it into most of my decks.

Woe Strider

Woe Strider - 4

When first played it won't be adding a ton of value to the board, but it will absolutely pay off in the long term. Its stats are fine for the initial cost and that makes this card powerful. Curve filler that doubles as top end while also smoothing draws. Yes please!

Top 5 Black Commons

  1. Mire's Grasp
  2. Final Death
  3. Blight-Breath Catoblepas
  4. Pharika's Libation
  5. Lampad of Death's Vigil

Multicolored

Acolyte of Affliction

Acolyte of Affliction - 4

Getting cards out of the graveyard is a great way to gain card advantage late game. This is probably not something you want to be casting on turn four, but will be amazing in the mid - late game. Without Blue it's not likely you will be able to bounce or flicker this card, but it's something to keep a lookout for.

Allure of the Unknown

Allure of the Unknown - 3

This card will work best when your deck is flat on power level. I want this in my aggressive decks that need a few extra cards to close out the game. Nothing in the deck should be powerful enough to out value an average 5.

Ashiok, Nightmare Muse

Ashiok, Nightmare Muse - 5

Probably the best card in the set. Mythics doing mythic things. Moving on.

Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths

Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths - 4

Free cards seem good. In all honesty, I just can't wait to play mind games with my opponents. Blue-Black is going to be strong in this set. Really looking forward to playing this card.

Bronzehide Lion

Bronzehide Lion - 3.5

This card has earned its high rating on stats alone. It will be powerful once it's on the board, but probably not taking it over most Black removal spells.

Calix, Destiny's Hand

Calix, Destiny's Hand - 3

The large amount of enchantments in this set make him playable. I am just not sure how good he's going to actually be overall. Seems underwhelming for a mythic planeswalker.

Dalakos, Crafter of Wonders

Dalakos, Crafter of Wonders - 2.5

Stats for this card are fine as a filler, but I am not seeing much reason to run it other than that. Four equipment cards might give it some extra value, but I don't even know that we want to run most of them. Very corner case.

Devourer of Memory

Devourer of Memory - 4

This was one of the most difficult cards to evaluate. As a 2-drop you are not going to want to sink a bunch of mana into the ability for damage. Its seems to be more valuable in the mid to late game once you have developed the board. Closing out games while also filling your graveyard is really strong.

Dream Trawler

Dream Trawler - 5

Card seems too strong for Limited and too awkward for Standard. Not really sure why this card exists. Play it. Make sure the only person at the table to have any fun is you.

Enigmatic Incarnation

Enigmatic Incarnation - 1

The biggest upside this card has is converting Omens into 4 CMC creatures. Really not sure that's where we will want to be for a build around deck.

Eutropia the Twice-Favored

Eutropia the Twice-Favored - 4

I might be valuing this card too highly. Tempo Green decks are one of my favorite things to draft. The constellation shouldn't be hard to trigger, and when it's targeting a big Green idiot it won't be hard to win the game.

Gallia of the Endless Dance

Gallia of the Endless Dance - 4

A 2/2 haste for two is good on its own. The added value from the abilities can make the ceiling on this card really high. I believe there are 8 Satyrs in Red and Green, making the pump ability reasonable. Attacking with three creatures might be harder to accomplish, but I really like the idea of discarding 1 at random when I have only a land in hand.

Haktos the Unscarred

Haktos the Unscarred - 4

Honestly, I have no idea how this card will actually perform. It seems strong being unblockable and unremovable to all except one CMC. 10/10 Achilles Flavor.

Hero of the Nyxborn

Hero of the Nyxborn - 3

A card I am happy to have in my 3-drop slot. I might be underrating this card because I am not impressed with the new heroic style trigger. The wider the set allows you to go the happier I will be with this.

Klothys, God of Destiny

Klothys, God of Destiny - 4

This is the by far the worst god. Its ability to remove graveyard fuel is nice, but I think it is far more important that your bombs are able to affect the board when they come into play. Seven devotion over two colors will not be too hard to achieve, so hopefully it turns on and just beats people to death.

Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger

Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger - 3

The card's enters the battlefield ability is not as strong as I would expect. After reading mythics like Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, I would expect it to do a lot more. I rated this card at a 3 because I am unsure how easy the average deck will be able to fill a graveyard. We might be able to cast this only once, and with the initial ability doing so little it is far from a homerun.

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos - 4

You can't ask for a more powerful 3-drop. No downside and no reason to not want to play this card. 10/10 Flavor. 10/10 Goodest of bois.

Mischievous Chimera

Mischievous Chimera - 4

This card is good in so many ways. It has good stats and evasion for two. It's an enchantment. It deals damage and smoothes draws. Strong power level for an uncommon in Limited.

Polukranos, Unchained

Polukranos, Unchained - 5

Mythics doing mythic things.

Rise to Glory

Rise to Glory - 3

Normally I think these cards are hard to get full value for. Good auras are often hard to find, but with some of the best White and Black commons being aura removal I do not think that will be the case in this set. Easy 2 for 1.

Siona, Captain of the Pyleas

Siona, Captain of the Pyleas - 3.5

I think the card is strong. I'm not overly thrilled to be in the White-Green aura deck since the removal in the set just seems too strong, but it is possible that all these cards that get extra value for auras might compensate for that.

Slaughter-Priest of Mogis

Slaughter-Priest of Mogis - 3

I like this card a lot in a flat aggressive deck. The Rakdos cards seem to have a well thought out plan this set.

Staggering Insight

Staggering Insight - 3.5

This card demands an answer or it will provide so much value your opponent won't be able to keep up. Wait to cast this until a creature is sure to deal damage. That way, the enchantment has paid for itself and you will have no fear of getting 2 for 1ed.

Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath - 5

The enters the battlefield ability is strong enough to make me run this card. Adding a free 6/6 body to the card is just icing. This seems a lot stronger than Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger.

Warden of the Chained

Warden of the Chained - 3.5

I'm excited to play this card in a Gruul beatdown deck. The power 4 or greater clause won't be hard to fulfill, and even if you can only block with it for a few turns it's still a great way to stop aggressive decks.

And that wraps Black and Gold! Check back in tomorrow as I delve into the Red cards from Theros: Beyond Death and some other odds and ends!

MTG Nerd Girl

Twitter: @MTGNerdGirl

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