M15: Evaluations

This is an initial set of evaluations of the cards in Magic 2015. Here’re what my various evaluations mean:

• Bomb (B): Will usually win the game if not dealt with and also difficult to deal with or play around, e.g., large flyers or mass removal.
• Exceptional (+): A superior card that will turn the tide in your favor, e.g., most unconditional removal that isn’t overcosted or a 3/3 flyer for 4 mana.
• Good (/): The bread and butter of most decks, e.g., a 2/2 flyer or a vanilla 3/3 for 3 mana.
• Situational/Filler (~): Good in the right deck, filler in most others, e.g., a vanilla 2/1 in a deck that is not particularly aggressive.
• Sideboard (S): Useful to have in your sideboard, but not usually playable maindeck, e.g., artifact/enchantment destruction or color hosers that aren’t good if you’re not playing against those colors.
• Unplayable (x): Should not be played except in the right deck or under exceptional circumstances, e.g., a vanilla 1/1 for 1 mana. Some unplayable creatures can be sided in against the right deck, e.g., a vanilla 1/3 for 3 mana might still be sided in against an aggressive deck.
• TBD (?): Requires more analysis or more experience with the format to evaluate, e.g., a card that depends on how many playable enchantments there are in the format.

The spreadsheet also has explanations for many of my evaluations. Here are some evaluations worth noting:

• Raise the Alarm (/), Coral Barrier (/): especially good with convoke
• Inferno Fist (/): especially good with first strike
• Ranger’s Guile (~): good, but Gather Courage and Titanic Growth are better
• Grindclock (~): earliest win is turn 11, if played on turn 2 and set to 5-9 counters, so only good in a very controlling deck or a dedicated mill deck</li

Here are the cards that need additional analysis to fully evaluate, and what the evaluation will depend on. This will guide subsequent analysis.

• Aeronaut Tinkerer, Chief Engineer, Ensoul Artifact, Scrapyard Mongrel, Shrapnel Blast, Torch Fiend: #/quality of artifacts
• Kurkesh Onakke Ancient: #/quality of activated abilities on artifacts
• Phyrexian Revoker (~): #/quality of activated abilities
• Hushwing Gryff (/), Peel from Reality (/), Quickling (+), Invasive Species, Roaring Primadox: #/quality of ETB effects
• Mind Sculpt, Undergrowth Scavenger, Grindclock (~), Profane Memento: #/quality of mill effects
• Seraph of the Masses, Military Intelligence, Feral Incarnation: #/quality of token producers
• Boonweaver Giant (x), Sungrace Pegasus, Brood Keeper: #/quality of enhancing Auras
• Midnight Guard (~): #/quality of Auras/Equipment conferring tap abilities
• Act on Impulse, Aggressive Mining, Rummaging Goblin: distribution of red CMCs
• Selfless Cathar: how aggressive W/X decks are
• Ajani’s Pridemate, Wall of Limbs: #/quality of lifegain
• Obelisk of Urd: #/quality of tribes
• Diffusion Sliver, Leeching Sliver, Belligerent Sliver: #/quality of Slivers
• Preeminent Captain: #/quality of Soldiers
• Necromancer’s Stockpile (/): #/quality of Zombies
• Goblin Rabblemaster (+): #/quality of Goblin
• Crucible of Fire (x): #/quality of Dragons
• Clear a Path (S): #/quality of defenders
• Warden of the Beyond: #/quality of effects that exile cards
• Waste Not: #/quality of discard effects
• Crippling Blight (~): #/quality of 1-toughness creature