For the first time… (checks notes) ever, I tried to do card ratings without listening to several hours of LR/LoL. As mentioned during my rolling ratings, I have a newfound respect for how hard this is. It’s hard! Making sure you read every word on cards is hard! Thinking of the best (and worst) cases is hard! It was fun, but now I’m eager to delve into the podcasts and see how I did.

First, here are my ratings: Benalish Dad’s Card Ratings. Again, I’m using my somewhat simplified tier system

• (A) Game-Changers. These are the bombs, the ones that can catch you up from behind, super powerful/efficient and/or source of repeated advantage. Preferably at least two of these.
• (B) Reasons. Aka “power”, they have one of the powerful sources mentioned above. They are a reason to play the color and you’re excited to draft them and play them.
• (B-) Draft-Changers. These are the build-arounds where, if properly supported, they could be very powerful. But you can’t just jam them into any deck like the Reasons
• (C+) Signals. The best commons. Usually removal or efficient low-cost creatures, since any deck in those colors eagerly drafts those cards. Hence if you see them pick 5-8, it constitutes a signal that the lane might be open.
• (C-) Variable Playable. These are cards that are playable, but usually fit different archetypes a little better or worse.
• (D+) Filler. Playable cards, but maybe off-plan, inefficient, or a weak archetype that you’d prefer to avoid.
• (F) Avoid. Maybe not stone-unplayable, but if these cards are never sleeved, you’re better off 99/100.

One of the things that was really hard was trying to distinguish the Variable Playables from Filler. Since without touching the cards it’s impossible to figure out whether or not a color pair just missed (e.g., blue/black saboteurs from AFR), most everything gets benefit of the doubt and rounds up to Playable. Let’s leap straight to the Signals, aka Best Commons

White

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runner-up

No real surprises here in white. A 2-mana evasive(ish) threat, an extremely efficient 4-mana that dumps a lot of power on the battlefield (shades of Basri’s Acolyte in M21), and removal that you can pay on the installment plan. These all point to an aggressive game plan: GW humans, RW aggro, UW spirits, and BW sacrifice synergies. Assuming more than just GW & RW can semi-reliably turn on Coven, I think these cards will find homes.

The Gavony Trapper is an interesting card. The main knock against it is that it’s awkward in multiples. However the 0 power is actually a feature, as that is a great fit with Coven.

blue

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Runner-up

Organ Hoarder is almost disgustingly efficient and Geistwave is about as good as bounce gets. The real question is Startle. This is a classic “Do three quarters equal a dollar?” type card. It cantrips, can help win a minor combat, and puts a decayed on the battlefield. UR loves spells, UB loves decayed, which just leaves the other two to squeeze efficiencies out of it. Which seems… doable.

Revenge of the Drowned is a fine card, though not everyone cards about Decayed and there are only so many 4-mana cards that you can put in your deck (assuming they’re not drawing you more action like the Organ Hoarder.

black

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Runner-up

Classic black: removal removal removal. I bumped the Hobbling Zombie ahead of the Eaten Alive because I assume that the 5-mana cost ~60% of the time is just that much worse. That Hobbling plays great defense with deathtouch and then throws out half-a-card of value with its Decayed child makes me think most decks will be happy running it.

red

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Runner-up

Good efficient creatures and removal. I think the Infiltrator will see plenty of play outside of RG werewolves, it’ll be a 3-mana 4/4 too easily. There are some more awkward removal spells but I think the Brimstone Devil might be sneaky good. It’s a beautiful fit in the BR Vampires and a 2/3 Menace body works where elsewhere too.

green

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Runner-Up

As I mentioned earlier, Howl of the Hunt is going to ruin a lot of games. Pestilent Wolf is a great 2/2 for 2-mana that is relevant in the late game with deathtouch. I went back and forth on the Oasis Ritualist. A 2/4 that fixes, ramps, stabilizes the board (potentially), and gains some life is a pretty handy piece. This might mean that 5-color green is a thing (though the gold uncommons are all a bunch of low-cost 2-3 mana stuff. Very strange). Otherwise you can’t go wrong with a 2-mana 3/1 that might be unblockable.

Alright, thanks for reading. Time to binge some podcasts!