Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Limited Set Review - White and Blue

Posted on September 21, 2021

This article is the first of four, and in it I will be evaluating every White and Blue card - scoring them on a scale of 1-5. These ratings are purely based on Limited formats and have no bearing on Constructed play. I would also like to note these ratings are based on how I believe the card will perform in an AVERAGE Sealed or Draft deck. Often this means a lower score for cards with great potential in a highly synergistic deck.

Rating - Explanation

1- Ideally not making the cut in any of my Limited decks.

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

3- Value cards I am happy to fill my deck with.

4- Cards to get excited about and Premium Removal.

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

White

	Adeline, Resplendent Cathar - 3.5 - This 3-drop has a lot of upside. There are a few payoff cards for going wide and a lot of great sacrifice options in the format to make this really powerful. I only gave it a 3.5 because you really need to be ahead on board for this to make a huge impact. Too often this will be played and not get the chance to shine, though it certainly has potential.
	Ambitious Farmhand // Seasoned Cathar - 3 - This card has grown on me a bit. Five-mana is a bit too much for a 3/3 lifelink creature, but getting a bonus land is a really nice perk. There are a lot of great cards in this set that have expensive Disturb and Flashback costs, so anything that makes that easier to manage I am on board for.
	Beloved Beggar // Generous Soul - 2.5 - The front side of Beloved Beggar // Generous Soul is the least impactful Disturb card, but it is a nice sacrifice target, then you get to have one of the biggest White creatures you can play from the graveyard. This card is ideal for any White/Black Deck.
	Bereaved Survivor // Dauntless Avenger - 3 - This is a very aggressive card. I am ideally playing this pre-combat on turn three when it will get the most value. I love playing this in a Boros themed deck with removal and combat tricks - Dauntless Avenger will be very hard to keep up with.
	Blessed Defiance - 2 - This is a moderately low impact combat trick. It will see some play, but only in the most aggressive decks that are likely to make a lot of early trades.
	Borrowed Time - 4 - This is the type of White removal I like to see in Limited. It is common to see this type of enchantment and they are always hard for an opponent to remove. It can often be hard to find removal in White so I would pick these up as often as possible.
	Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute - 4 - Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute is an interesting creature. Each time this creature transforms back into Brutal Cathar it gets to exile a creature. Getting to remove more than one creature is insane in an aggressive deck. If the opponent has no removal, this can end games very quickly.
	Candlegrove Witch - 2.5 - This little creature has some decent reach. It interacts well with any of the vampire cards that need an opponent to have lost life, so it pairs well with Black and Red. With cards like Bereaved Survivor // Dauntless Avenger in the format there are a lot of reasons to like this 2-drop.
	Candletrap - 3 - Most sets have this sort of removal in White and it is always great to have. Coven is not too hard to get so even when this just gives an opponent a large defender it shouldn't be too much of an issue in the long run. Even with a low creature count this is still something any White deck is looking to play.
	Cathar Commando - 3 - Two-mana 3/1s are normally very unexciting cards, but Cathar Commando is extremely flexible. Getting to flash this in means that it is likely to trade up or help aggressive decks keep up the beats. Later in the game there are some great targets in the format that this will want to remove, so all around, I love playing one of these in any White deck.
	Cathar's Call - 2.5 - This is a risky card to play, but it does a lot for the White deck that wants to go wide. I am not likely to run a ton of these for fear of being 2-for-1ed, but it will see some play. Always happy to board these in against removal-light decks.
	Celestus Sanctifier - 2.5 - Filler stats with a great long-game bonus. Getting to put extra lands or Disturb cards into the graveyard each time there is a night / day transition can generate card advantage really quickly. This is worth playing in just about any White deck.
	Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist - 3 - Most 1-drops are simply not impactful enough to make it worth running, but Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist is definitely an exception. The front side of this card alone is worth playing in an aggressive deck - getting to cast it later is just a huge bonus. I actually like this card a lot.
	Clarion Cathars - 3 - Getting to spread power out across two bodies is an amazing bonus in a format with go-wide payoffs and sacrifice synergies. It also helps to activate the coven abilities we see a lot of in White. This is better than filler and will likely see a fair amount of play.
	Curse of Silence - 1 - Cards that remove other cards from an opponent's deck are always made for Constructed. I am happy to pick this card up late for the sideboard, but I doubt I will ever cast this card in Limited.
	Duelcraft Trainer - 3.5 - Duelcraft Trainer is really strong for an uncommon. The creature itself is a decent rate for the cost. Getting to target anything with the coven ability even when the Trainer doesn't attack is amazing. Anytime it isn't safe to send this into combat you can just give a small flier double strike and still end games really quickly.
	Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - 4 - Enduring Angel is interesting to say the least. She is hard to cast and not likely to live very long, but if she does games will definitely end quickly. There is no reason not to play this card any chance you get.
	Fateful Absence - 4 - This card got a lot of hype when it was spoiled. This is some seriously powerful removal for White. It does allow an opponent to replace their creature with a random card off the top, but they do have to pay for it and it is more than worth it when considering what this card can do. This is insane for White.
	Flare of Faith - 3 -The actual pump part of this spell is underwhelming for 2 mana, but getting to make a human +3/+3 AND indestructible is kind of amazing. This is going to be good in any White deck because there are so many humans, and there is no shortage of humans in any other color either. This will perform better than it looks.
	Gavony Dawnguard - 3.5 - I love everything about this card. It is a decent creature for the mana cost that synergizes well with what White is trying to do. Ward 1 is also a nice bonus that will also surprise people.
	Gavony Silversmith - 2.5 - The floor for this is a bit low and the ceiling is only just above the playable rate. This common will likely see some play in creature heavy decks, but I am never very excited about it.
	Gavony Trapper - 2 - Without any attack power on its own this creature is a bit underwhelming. With cards like Gavony Silversmith it could be a nice ability to have access to in a creature heavy deck. As a whole the format is just too wide for this to be exciting.
	Hedgewitch's Mask - 1.5 - Artifacts with low equip costs are always playable. This is a reasonable 23rd playable card in a creature heavy deck. This is never the card I am looking to play, but it will likely find its way into a few decks.
	Homestead Courage - 1.5 - Getting to cast this spell twice means it will likely give more value than its mana cost would suggest. It is still very low impact at sorcery speed and will get cut from most decks.
	Intrepid Adversary - 4.5 - Easy card to first pick. This creature has a built-in anthem in a format where there is an endless stream of creature tokens coming into play. This Adversary will absolutely win games if left on the board. The only reason this is not rated higher is because it is a bit too easy to remove.
	Loyal Gryff - 3 - Three-mana 2-power creatures are reasonably common. This Hippogriff is very flexible and can even offer card advantage if used in response to a removal spell. This evasive creature is worth playing in any White deck.
	Lunarch Veteran - 2.5 - Sadly there isn't a life gain deck in the format for this card to really shine in, but it will be a great addition in any sacrifice theme deck. I would also consider picking up extra of these for the sideboard against more aggressive decks that run out of gas quickly.
	Mourning Patrol // Morning Apparition - 2.5 - Both sides of this card are decent for the mana cost. Getting to cast the back side of Mourning Patrol later in the game is a huge bonus. This is the type of common I start to get excited about picking up in the second half of the pack.
	Odric's Outrider - 3.5 - In a format with so many tokens, there will be a lot of deaths. This is a way better version of Unruly Mob that needs to be removed. The more creatures in the deck the better this card gets.
	Ritual Guardian - 2 - The ability on Ritual Guardian isn't exciting. This is just a filler creature with a small amount of upside if the deck is heavy on creatures. This will see a fair amount of play but it will never be exciting.
	Ritual of Hope - 3 - Payoff cards for going wide are a lot better in this format then they are in other sets. This is by far the widest format I have seen in a long time, and White is the color that really wants to do that.
	Search Party Captain - 3 - There is nothing I want more in White than to go wide. This is a great card to help aggressive decks continue to build on the board while also getting to keep drawing more gas. It is nothing fancy, but it will see a lot of play.
	Sigarda's Splendor - 1.5 - Over a long period of time Sigarda's Splendor can generate a decent amount of value. There are too few life gain cards and synergies to make this worth playing in most decks. The closer the deck is to Mono-White the more interested I become.
	Sigardian Savior - 4 - The power level of this card is totally dependent on the quantity and quality of cheap creatures in the deck. It will not likely win the game on its own, but it is a great card that offers a lot of card advantage.
	Soul-Guide Gryff - 3 - With the amount of flashback and disturb in the format, the ability on Soul-Guide Gryff will often give a nice bonus. It is also a great size creature with evasion - do not underestimate it.
	Sungold Barrage - 3 - It will not be hard to find targets to hit with this removal. There are a few 3/4 fliers and lots of werewolves that make this a great card to pick up at any point in the draft.
	Sungold Sentinel - 4 - Sungold Sentinel has a lot to offer. This creature will not likely win a game on its own, but it does keep opponents off of graveyard synergies and offers a fair amount of reach at an insanely good rate.
	Sunset Revelry - 1.5 - Even though this card does a lot of things it is not likely to do what you want or when you want to do it. There are a few reasons to pick this up for the sideboard so keep an eye out for them late in the draft.
	Thraben Exorcism - 1.5 - I am only looking to play these in the sideboard, but it will likely find SOMETHING to hit if the deck is short of playables. It is reasonably flexible but has a low power level.
	Unruly Mob - 2.5 - This reprint is always a bit unexciting in the average deck, but this format is by far the widest we have seen in the past few years, so it will likely perform better than it has in the past.
	Vanquish the Horde - 4 - Any time a board clear is needed there will always be at least 2 creatures on the board, so this will never cost more than 6 mana. Getting to clear the board and hold back some creatures is always a great option to have. Sometimes this will be a dead card when ahead on board, but it is more than worth playing.

Top 3 White Commons

Candletrap

Clarion Cathars

Search Party Captain

Blue

	Baithook Angler // Hook-Haunt Drifter - 2 - Baithook Angler is one of the Disturb cards that are just fine. A 2/1 actually trades reasonably well in this set, and getting to play a small flier after is a nice bonus. This is nothing exciting but certainly worth playing.
	Component Collector - 1.5 - Component Collector has an interesting ability. Getting to tap an opponent's creatures in Blue is always nice, but this is just a bit too difficult to control for me to be happy to play it.
	Consider - 3 - In this format this is a bit better than Opt. Getting to put a flashback or disturb card into the graveyard and still draw a card is some decent value for 1 mana. Like Opt, it is never wrong to play this, but it is also an easy option to cut when needing to slim down the deck.
	Covetous Castaway // Ghostly Castigator - 3 - Most of the power for this card is on the back side. A 3/4 flier is actually really big in the format. It dodges a lot of the Red removal and can close out games quickly. It is also important to note that you will possibly get some value in the graveyard after milling yourself with the front side.
	Curse of Surveillance - 2.5 - Triggering on the opponent's upkeep means they are not likely to have an answer for it before it replaces itself. It will likely never be BAD to run this card. That said, it is still a lot of mana to do nothing. I am far more interested in keeping this in the sideboard to play against more grindy / long matchups. I am really not happy about this card until I have gotten the third draw from it.
	Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration -1.5 - This is definitely a Constructed card. Getting to flip Delver is simply too random in Limited. There is a Blue / Red spells deck in the format that will reward playing this, and it is likely no one else will want them - so keep an eye out for that.
	Devious Cover-Up - 2 - I am rarely interested in 4-mana counterspells. There is a lot of self mill in the format, so getting to loop two of these will be great to put back any bombs or removal you happen to hit while still getting to put your flashback and disturb cards into the graveyard.
	Dissipate - 2.5 - A simple counter with a bit of upside. The set uses the graveyard a bit for spells with flashback and disturb, so this will be nice to have in the sideboard as well.
	Drownyard Amalgam - 2.5 - Drownyard Amalgam is a decent sized creature. Playing this will slow down more aggressive decks and give you some extra reach later in the game once the more controlling deck stabilizes.
	Fading Hope - 2.5 - I have always been a fan of bounce spells. This one is not as good as Geistwave, but it is still worth playing if the deck has room.
	Falcon Abomination - 3 - I like Wind Drakes that come with a built in bonus. In a format with so many sacrifice synergies this is a great card at common. This will definitely see a lot of play.
	Firmament Sage - 3 - The creature is a bit small for the mana cost, but it more than makes up for it if it gets one draw trigger. Changing the day phases is not terribly difficult and often the opponent will do it by accident. I like this card a lot.
	Flip the Switch - 2.5 - If a counterspell requires the spells controller to pay 3 or more mana it becomes playable in Limited. The zombie is a nice bonus that will work with all of the sacrifice synergies in the format.
	Galedrifter // Waildrifter - 3 - This flier is decent on its own and comes with a small bonus creature for later in the game when there is nothing left to cast. Happy to play this in any Blue deck.
	Geistwave - 3 - This bounce spell has some serious upside. This is flexible and can even replace itself if used in response to removal. I will likely want to play 1 or 2 of these in every Blue deck.
	Grafted Identity - 4 - Gaining control of an opponent's creatures is one of the best ways to drastically change the board state - easy two-for-one typically. This one is a bit harder to cast, but with all of the decayed tokens to sacrifice in the format it is still a great card.
	Larder Zombie - 1 - 1-drops need to have a ton of synergy for me to have any interest in playing them. Larder Zombie simply doesn't do enough to make it worth playing.
	Lier, Disciple of the Drowned - 4.5 - Wow. I didn't give this a 5 because it doesn't make any lasting impact on the board if answered right away, but if the opponent has no removal it will win games like a 5. Very excited to play this card in Limited.
	Locked in the Cemetery - 3.5 - Most sets have a Blue enchantment removal and this one is about average. There are a larger number of bounce spells and enchantment removal in the format so it will be a little less effective, but still worth playing.
	Malevolent Hermit // Benevolent Geist - 4 - Malevolent Hermit is a great 2-for-1. The creature is big enough to trade well and can even counter a much better spell. The back side is just Wind Drake so there is really no down side.
	Memory Deluge - 3.5 - Now this is an amazing draw spell. The rating is a bit low only because it does not affect the board right away, but that doesn't mean it isn't powerful. This is a great spell.
	Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle - 3 - This offers a slow way to gain card advantage. The ability on the back is too inconsistent to count on, but it is a nice bonus when it works. I like playing this but will happily board it out against more aggressive decks.
	Nebelgast Intruder - 3 - We have seen a similar ability on creatures in the past few sets. This one is by far the best. Nebelgast Intruder can easily become a 2-for-1 that is a bit of a scary threat on its own.
	Ominous Roost - 1 / 3 - This is an easy split rating card. The 1/1s made from Ominous Roost are a bit too small to play in most decks. The deck has to have a fair amount of synergy to make it worth playing. I want 8+ ways to interact with my graveyard before I am interested in this card.
	Organ Hoarder - 3 - Getting to draw a card is more than worth the extra mana this creature costs. There is also the chance of getting to put a disturb creature or flashback card into the graveyard making it even better value.
	Otherworldly Gaze - 2 - Cards that help smooth out draws are always nice to have, but this one doesn't offer any card draw to replace itself. With flashback this will likely remove a few dead draws and pay for itself if the deck is short on playables.
	Overwhelmed Archivist // Archive Haunt - 3 - Another good disturb card that offers some card advantage over a few turns. The front side will help hand smooth in the early game and the back side is just an evasive creature that will help close out games later.
	Patrician Geist - 3.5 - There are enough spirits in the set to make it reasonable that any deck will have some synergy to go with it. The creature alone is worth playing and any bonus it gets is just a free roll.
	Phantom Carriage - 3 - This creature is huge and offers a small amount of card advantage. Decks can only have a few 5+ drops so this will likely get cut often even though it is playable.
	Poppet Stitcher - 3.5 - The power level of this card is totally dependent on the amount of spells the deck contains. This is likely a split rating card but I decided to just get an average rating. This is playable in any deck and just has a ton of upside and can easily become the best card in the deck.
	Revenge of the Drowned - 3 - Bounce spells that place creatures on top of the library are always nice because they remove the card disadvantage associated with bounce spells. If you happen to cast this in response to a combat trick or something the ceiling is really high.
	Secrets of the Key - 2 - Not a draw spell I am happy to play. It is 9-mana over several turns to draw two cards. It is playable and might be decent in the Blue/Red spells deck.
	Shipwreck Sifters - 2 - Nothing exciting but just has a lot of synergy in the Spirit deck. This will likely see some play but I won't be happy about it.
	Skaab Wrangler - 2 - Tapping creatures on an opponents turn to prevent blocks or clear the way to attack is always an amazing feeling. With so many decayed tokens, this will likely see some play, but not unless the deck has a larger creature count.
	Sludge Monster - 3.5 - This creature does a lot for 5 mana. I love getting to shrink opponents' creatures. Another neat trick the sludge can do is target your own decayed minions and they will lose decay - Kinda neat!
	Spectral Adversary - 4 - Of all of the adversaries this one has the widest range. The floor is very low and the ceiling is very high. This whole cycle is great and should always be played, but this one is the least exciting.
	Startle - 2.5 - This card does a lot for a reasonably low cost. Each ability is small, but because it replaces itself it means I am fine with that. This will likely be a 1 for 0 in most situations.
	Stormrider Spirit - 2.5 - This is a playable top end creature - nothing "flashy".
	Suspicious Stowaway // Seafaring Werewolf - 4 - There is nothing not to like about this card. When it is day, you get to smooth draws and dig for important cards, but when it is night you get an unblockable 2 power creature with a built-in Curious Obsession. This card is truly nuts.
	Triskaidekaphile - 3 - Having no maximum hand size in Limited is rarely relevant, but 2-drops that can help fill a curve and stay relevant no matter when in the game they are drawn is always good!
	Unblinking Observer - 2 - This type of mana dork for spells is common in a lot of Limited formats. This one trades well and can even get a bit aggressive when on the play. This will see some play in the format.
	Vivisection - 2 - Needing to sacrifice a creature makes this a horrible top deck late in the game. With the amount of creature tokens created in the format it is better than it would be in a typical format, but it is still just unexciting card draw.