INNISTRAD MIDNIGHT HUNT

TOP COMMONS

The results are in.

Here is our breakdown of the top 5 commons in each color for the release of Innistrad Midnight Hunt! (BTW sign up with us here to learn from LordTupperware, Chord_O_Calls, or DEATHSIE!)

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eSporter helps players improve quickly and win more alongside like-minded people. What better way to do that than to share with you our early picks for Top Commons:

Gavony Silversmith: Probably one of, if not the, best White Common. Remember Basri’s Acolyte? It is that, but can put the counters on itself… a huge plus because you only need one other creature on board to get full value.  This will also be an excellent way to manipulate creature powers to gain access to Coven triggers.

 

Candlegrove Witch: White appears to be aggressive, and a 2/2 with flying upside seems really good. There seems to be many creatures with flying in the format (on the front or back with Disturb), so flying may be not as hugely impactful as it is normally, but this seems like it is going to be a staple in White decks.

 

Gavony Trapper: More like Gavony TAPPER amirite xD… but actually, tappers are normally strong in Limited and the 0 power here is going to help for Coven considerations. This is going to be a solid piece in any White deck.

 

Homestead Courage: +1/+1 for 1 is normally not worth a card.   That being said, because this card has Flashback and also grants Vigilance to the creature until EoT I think it is doing just enough here to make me like it. It empowers a good attack, leaves up a blocker and is another important enabler for the Coven decks.

 

Search Party Captain: When I first saw this I thought this might be bad but I do think that your White decks are going to be aggressive and the line of 1-drop into 2-drop, swing with both turn 3, play this and have a mana up for something else seems pretty powerful.  We just saw how powerful Priest of Ancient Lore was in AFR and I think we are seeing something similar here.

 

Organ Hoarder: Not only is the 3/2 body respectable enough, but in Blue decks having this type of card selection is going to be incredibly valuable. Having a deck with a few instances of Flashback or Disturb makes this card essentially a draw two if you pick up a spell, bin a land and a Flashback or Disturb card. I think this guy may get overlooked because of the body but my guess is this effect will be very powerful in this format that cares about the Graveyard as a resource.

 

Falcon Abomination: Wind Drake with upside! There are several ways to use these 2/2 zombie tokens for more than just a single attack. The 2/2 flying body works nicely on offense and defense. In a format with a lot of fliers I think you are going to want copies of this card in your Blue decks.

 

Revenge of the Drowned: Being able to put a card back into your opponent’s library is effectively removal. Even if they put the card back on the top of their library you are blanking their next draw step and know what is in their hand. You also get a 2/2 Zombie…what more could you ask for?!

 

Startle: I think this card does just enough for me to be interested in it. I think the -2/-0 is going to lead to a lot of profitable trades and on top of that, it cantrips. I think this may play out as essentially removal that replaces itself with another card and I am all in for that.

 

Locked in the Cemetery: In previous formats, we have seen that these 2-mana Claustrophobia variants play out to be powerful. I think Locked is no different. Leaving threats on the battlefield is always dangerous but I think this is cheap enough to be pretty effective.

Eaten Alive: I actually love this card. It is the best way at common to enable “Steal And Sac” synergies with the Red Act of Treason effect, it Exiles its target which is relevant with the Disturb mechanic in the set, and there are so many 2/2 Zombies running around in Black that I think you will get to cast this for 1 Black mana more often than not and feel good about it.

 

Olivia’s Midnight Ambush: Fine rate for -2/-2 for 1B but amazing rate if it is night. Pick this card early and often!

 

Defenestrate: Definition: throw (someone) out of a window. A+ for the flavor. Still a very solid pickup and will deal with many threats in the format. With 30+ creatures with flying though we will see how many of these you really want taking up your removal slots in your black decks.

 

Siege Zombie: I like that late in the game your opponent is going to have to deal with your 2-drop common or it might just win the game.  Early it is a 2/2 Zombie, late it drains your oppo for 1 or 2 each turn.  It is another way to get value from decayed tokens and overall seems like a solid 2-drop creature.

 

Diregraf Horde:  What doesn’t this card do? It is a decent sized body in the format, it comes in with 2 2/2 Zombie friends, AND it eats 2 of oppos Flashback or Disturb cards. I like this guy, he could rapidly become one of Black’s best common creatures.

Moonrager’s Slash: Twitch has affectionately nicknamed this card “Nightning Bolt”. This card is insane. It is good at its cost of 3, unfair when it costs 1. 1st pick kind of card right here.

 

Ardent Elementalist: These effects are always powerful and 3R is the cheapest we have seen this effect at for some time now. This will probably shine in Blue/Red but be viable in every color pair. 

 

Famished Foragers: If you manage to trigger life loss and string 2 of these together the game is probably over.  More likely is that you play it and get a free rummage.  The true fail case of this card is a 3R 4/3 with an expensive rummage mana sink attached to it.  This card looks fine and I have a feeling this card could overperform.

 

Lambholt Harrier: 2/2s with upside. I like that this is fine early and still powerful late.  You also aren’t limited in how many times you can activate its ability. I think this will be a premier red 2-drop.

 

Immolation: You won’t often be attaching this to your own creature but doing so and swinging for lethal is definitely on my MID bingo sheet. It is very efficient at 1-mana dealing with many of the 2-drops in the set. I think you are going to be happy taking this anywhere in the 4-8th pick in each pack. 

Eccentric Farmer: Although I poo-pooed this card on Twitter I do recognize this is one of the better ways to turbocharge the graveyard in Green. Like in AFR, I have a feeling that the 2/3 body is going to be fine and this is essentially a 3-mana 2/3 that draws a land like 70+% of the time.

 

Harvestide Sentry: When you have Coven online this card forces profitable trades. I like that but I am curious to see how easy coven will be to turn on. It seems like a finicky mechanic and one that seems to be a little less inherently powerful in limited than Flashback or Disturb which are basically 2-for-1s. 

 

Timberland Guide: I think TG is going to be one of the better Green 2-drops. Since you can put the counter anywhere I really like that he comes in at rate or gives you a 1 power creature and then helps you enable Coven elsewhere. 

 

Dawnhart Rejuvenator: It seems like we are back to a format where splashes are reasonable in Green again. We did see this card in War of the Spark where Green wasn’t good but I have hope here that this 2/4 body will actually stack up well against the field. 

 

Howl of the Hunt: So this is the take I feel most questionable about since auras are regularly a 2-for-1 for your opponent.  I like that it really plays much more like a combat trick than an aura though. Also, if you are playing it on a Wolf/Werewolf there is definitely a world where you can nab one of their best things if they attack into your tapped Wolves & open mana. I have a feeling this card might play out pretty well in the format.Here is our breakdown of the top 5 commons in each color for the release of Innistrad Midnight Hunt!

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