And we are back today to review all the Black cards! Wizards announced yesterday that they are banning nothing in Standard. Instead, they’ve opted to wait and they are hoping that Amonkhet has enough cards and tools to shake things up. While I’m doubtful, I’m also hopeful. They do test these sets in the Future Future League(FFL.) So, they know things that we don’t. Let’s pray to the Amonkhet Gods! So, now that we know everything is intact, my review of the set will reflect this. Everything will be competing with Saheeli Combo or Mardu. Here’s to hoping we find some gems! Before we dive in, let’s look at my rating scale for Standard.

0 — Will never see play in this format (0 ratings are not listed).

1 — Unlikely to see play (Hedron Alignment)

2 — Could see fringe play, or occasional sideboard card (Negate)

3 — Commonly played. Staple in a single deck, or frequent play in several decks. (Tireless Tracker)

4 — Format Staple, sees play in multiple decks, one of the best cards in the format. (Heart of Kiran)

5 — Format warping. Every deck plays this, or is built with this card in mind. (Gideon, Ally of Zendikar)

Archfiend of Ifnir — 3.5

This is a very good card for control decks and cycle decks in general. It can even be cycled and brought back to life later with something like Liliana, Death's Majesty. Flying is important to take out Planeswalkers, like Gideon. The cycle ability is also extremely good because it can stop the Saheeli combo. After they make an absurd number of Felidar Guardians, you just cycle one card and give them all -1/-1. Keep in mind this gives -1/-1 counters. This means over time you can very easily just Plague Wind your opponent's creatures.

Baleful Ammit — 2

Jorubai Murk Lurker saw play in Standard in the Sideboard of control decks. I expect this to get similar treatment unless a -1/-1 counter deck pops up somewhere. I do like that it's a Crocodile Demon though, sweet creature type.

Blighted Bat — 1

We have better zombies for Standard. This bat is too blighted for Standard play.

Bone Picker — 2.5

Great in older formats since it does a Delver of Secrets impersonation. For Standard, however, I think it's overrated just because you need to be durdling around with sacrificing creatures and I don't think you have the time for that in the current Standard environment. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't think I am. I do expect to see this guy in older formats though.

Bontu the Glorified — 2.5

A cheap God that plays well with Bone Picker. If both those cards pick up I imagine they will be played together. Outside of that Bontu asks a lot of the player. She requires you to sacrifice a creature and tie up two of your mana in order to attack or block. That's a lot, and the only deck I can foresee this card sliding into is some Cryptolith Rite, Blisterpod, zombie, aristocrats type deck. She's a sweet one, so I hope she's better than I'm giving her credit for.

Cartouche of Ambition — 2

A bit slow in my opinion. Great Sideboard option against aggressive decks where the counter will kill a creature and give your guy lifelink to put you out of reach.

Cruel Reality — 1.5

Awesome flavor and a fun card! The cruel reality of this is that it costs way too much for Standard. Tapping out for it spells death and it never kills a Gideon since Gideon just makes tokens. Heart of Kiran also dodges this card because it's not a creature when you need it to be. This card would've been fun to get out with something like Planar Bridge but we can't do that in the current Standard environment.

Cursed Minotaur — 1.5

Rather play the Zombie lord over this guy in my zombie deck. This minotaur is cursed to only see Limited play.

Dispossess — 2

Never a fan of these types of cards but they can be okay against combo decks when you cast them. Getting gearhulks or Dynavolt Towers is a thing. Wouldn't want this against Mardu because even if you manage to get Scrapheap Scroungers before they play one, you will still die just as easily to Heart of Kiran or Gideon. Not that powerful but glad it exists, will only see sideboard play.

Doomed Dissenter — 2

Sacrifice deck anyone? Could see play in that Blisterpod, Bontu, and Cryptolith Rite deck. Maybe throw in some Westvale Abbey into the mix?

Dread Wanderer — 3

Goes right into the zombie deck. Bringing back Prized Amalgams is great, also a great discard outlet to things like Haunted Dead. Unlike Gravecrawler this thing can block. A very good zombie!

Dune Beetle — 2

Maybe my love for creatures with big butts is too much, but again I could see some control deck playing this beetle to hold the fort early game against things like Veteran Motorist, Scrapheap Scrounger, the plethora of X/1 White creatures, etc etc. Only in the Sideboard but I wouldn't be shocked to see it there.

Faith of the Devoted — 3

This begs to be built around and against some decks it's better than Drake Haven. It combos well with New Perspectives. I have Faith that this card will spawn a new tier one deck that we can play. The question we gotta ask ourselves is if it's better than Dynavolt Tower. You must warp your deck around it but you must do that too for Dynavolt Tower. Time will tell, or Shaheehn Soorani will tell us since it can be played in some Esper variant.

Festering Mummy — 1.5

Maybe Sideboard zombie? Even then is it better than something like Walking Ballista? Maybe in the right zombie deck but I don't think so.

Final Reward — 1

Man, if only this card cost 3 mana, then I would be hyped. At 5 mana it's a good removal spell in Limited but that's about it. If you want this type of affect because it's also good with Torrential Gearhulk then I'd just pay one more mana and play Grip of Desolation.

Gravedigger — 1.5

Good for Limited but we don't have the time in Standard to pay 4 mana to buy back a creature. This affect is better in Liliana, the Last Hope.

Grim Strider — 1

A fixed Death's Shadow? When Verdurous Gearhulk sees little play, and can be an 8/8 with Trample for 5 mana, then I expect this Grim Strider to keep on striding the deserts of Amonkhet. Keep doing you Grim Strider.

Horror of the Broken Lands — 2.5

This gets a higher rating because the cycle deck might want this card. 1 mana to cycle a card is extremely valuable. Late game you could potentially play this guy as a finisher if you wanted to. If the cycle deck is looking for cheap cyclers than this card is a go to, especially since you won't be doing too much early game outside of clearing the battlefield with Fatal Pushs.

Lay Bare the Heart — 3

Competes with Transgress the Mind but it gets things at lower converted mana cost. Neither get Heart of Kiran and Lay Bare the Heart doesn't hit Aetherworks Marvel or the Gods but it hits cheap removal like Harnessed Lightning and Fatal Push. I want to say Transgress is better just because you really want to exile that Glimmer of Genius, but it really depends on how the meta shapes up.

Liliana, Death’s Majesty — 3.5

I would've given this card a higher rating if things got banned. Since they didn't, it's going to be scary to tap out for her, but if you get to untap with her you'll be heavily rewarded. Bringing things back like Torrential Gearhulk, Noxious Gearhulk, Gonti, Kalitas, or even Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger are all very powerful things that midrange and control decks would love. I expect this card to see play in a couple of midrange/control decks in Standard.

Liliana's Mastery — 2.5

Five is a lot to ask for an aggressive zombie deck. You do however get your mana worth out of this card. A Glorious Anthem and two 2/2 zombies that are 3/3s because of this enchantment? Yes please! Does the zombie deck want to stop its curve here or with Liliana, Death's Majesty? Which is the better sideboard card? These are things you'll have to ask yourself. I doubt you play Liliana's Mastery over Liliana, Death's Majesty unless you are already running three or four Liliana, the Last Hope, but it's a possibility. Again, it just really depends on how you're building your deck and what you expect. Both are good against control decks in the Sideboard and they fill very similar roles.

Lord of the Accursed — 3

Why play Cursed Minotaur when you can play this bad boy? This card can be a beating, not only does it grow all your zombies but it also can give them Menace when you're ready to alpha strike? Ouch! A staple in the zombie deck and I expect it to be a thing now.

Miasmic Mummy — 2

A Ravenous Rats that makes both players discard cards. Discarding cards isn't usually that bad in the zombie deck. Unlike the Ravenous Rats it has a relevant creature type and is a 2/2. I doubt it will be a competitor but it has potential depending on what your deck is trying to do. Could see fringe play.

Nest of Scarabs — 2

Too slow in my opinion. You need to do nothing on turn three and then untap to start making 1/1s. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm just not seeing this card in current Standard. Fringe deck sure but tier one I don't think so.

Painful Lesson — 1

This card isn't going to see play when we have Painful Truths, Live Fast, and Succumb to Temptation in Standard. Sure, you can target your opponent if they are at two or less life, but that will rarely come up. The only painful lesson here is this card isn't good enough.

Pitiless Vizier — 1

For 4 mana, we need our creatures to do a lot more than just be a 4/2. Limited only.

Plague Belcher — 2.5

Zombie deck or aristocrats zombie deck! Solid body for the mana and a relevant ability. Probably not a four-of but still a good one to have main deck and a solid one for the Sideboard against board wipes.

Ruthless Sniper — 2.5

The card I want in my Black Cycle deck. This gives -1/-1 counters out like candy, and that's very relevant! Might not want it main deck but I definitely want access to it in the Sideboard!

Scarab Feast — 2.5

Better late than never I guess. This card can see main deck play, and I imagine it will just because it cycles so cheaply and has the benefit of exiling Scrapheap Scrounger, Dread Wanderer, and other things that are annoying to deal with in the Graveyard.

Shadow of the Grave — 2

This is a combo card if I've ever seen one. It begs to be abused in older formats. Can see play alongside New Perspectives but if you have New Perspectives out do you really need Shadow of the Grave? I don't think so. Still, a really sweet design for things like The Rack and Waste Not.

Soulstinger — 1.5

4 mana for a 2/3 that when it dies it can kill something else. Eh, not feeling it. Skinrender did something similar but did it right away and had three more power. Skinrender wasn't even that good and this format is more hostile than previous ones. Why play this when you can play Gideon or Felidar Guardian?

Splendid Agony — 1

3 mana removal that doesn't kill Heart of Kiran, Gideon, or Felidar Guardian? Even in a -1/-1 counter deck I can't ever see anyone playing this, it doesn't kill the important things in the format.

Stir the Sands — 2.5

Not nearly as good as Renewed Faith but it's still a cycle with an effect when you cycle it. Four is a lot, but I can see the Black cycle decks playing a couple of these. Drawing a card and making a 2/2 for 4 mana is decent, especially if that 2/2 trades with a creature.

Supernatural Stamina — 1.5

We've seen this card plenty of times. It's even in Oath of the Gatewatch in Unnatural Endurance. Card is okay when the Heroic ability is in Standard but otherwise it doesn't seem good enough.

Trespasser's Curse — 2

A solid sideboard against the Saheeli combo since it stops them from combo killing you. Will also buy you time against decks that make a lot of thopters or if a token deck manages to pop up.

Trial of Ambition — 2

Sorcery speed is unfortunate. Doesn't keep Scrapheap away, doesn't kill Heart of Kiran, doesn't kill Gideon, and it doesn't stop the Saheeli combo. Sure, you can buy it back, but why would you when it doesn't kill some of the most important things in Standard?

Unburden — 2

Mind Rot has always been held back because while it's solid early or mid-game, it's an awful top deck late in the game. With cycle, you can now just cycle it away! A good card for the Sideboard of the cycle decks if a ramp deck pops up or some really grindy control/combo deck.

Wander in Death — 3

I really like this card. Early on you can just cycle it. Later in the game you can buy back your cheap creatures that have cycle for 1 mana (most notably inBblue.) It's like Cartographer in the cycle decks of old in that it can buy you back cycling creatures. Creatures I'm referring to are things like Curator of Mysteries, River Serpent, and Horror of the Broken Lands.

Wasteland Scorpion — 1.5

It cycles, but even then it's not great. If Midrange was the best deck, then I could see the cycle deck wanting some number of these main deck; but, since Saheeli and Mardu are the best decks and they don't care about a 2/2 Deathtouch, then I can't imagine why you would play this.

Never // Return — 3

I feel like this card is better than Ruinous Path right now. While not amazing by any means, control usually wants at least one way to kill a Planeswalker. Really sucks that it's Sorcery speed because it doesn't hit Heart of Kiran or stop the Saheeli Combo. I expect to see this card as a singleton in Black midrange and control decks but that's about it.

Top 5 Black Cards

1. Faith of the Devoted
2. Archfiend of Ifnir
3. Dread Wanderer
4. Lay Bare the Heart
5. Lord of the Accursed

I know this was a little out of order, today should have been the Blue Set Review. I just got a little confused. Tomorrow we will go over the Blue cards, then Red, Green and everything else. If we look at the top five cards in Black we can see that Zombies and Cycling are some of the most powerful things you can be doing from Amonkhet. Hopefully both decks have enough support to be tier one decks, lord knows we need it! Would love to have a format with four or five tier one decks.

As always, thanks for reading and I will see you all tomorrow!

Much love,

Ali Aintrazi

@AliEldrazi on Twitter