Core Set 2020 Limited Set Review: White

[@NizzahonMagic]

Sorry for the several minutes of silence at the very end -- all the cards are in the video, I just left a huge spot between my end card and the end of the video! Hope you all enjoy!

[@Kiffkes]

Watched and enjoyed all of it, ty for all the content :D

[@MistaHoward]

The reason Protection from stops creatures from being blocked is because the ability was inspired by the Protection from Evil spell from D&D, which created a forcefield of sorts around the caster that stopped evil-aligned beings from interfering with anything behind the "forcefield". So the idea was that protection from say, Black, meant that your creature could pass through their defending black creatures to attack your opponent directly, since the black creatures would be unable to interfere with it - which is why the MTG mechanic also prevents damage, equipping and enchanting, etc, since the "forcefield" stops any spells or damage sources from touching the creature with protection. The Apostle of Purifying Light's art illustrates the concept pretty well I think, and was likely done intentionally to try and convey what "Protection from" means flavorfully to help people remember what it does mechanically more easily, since the reason the mechanic was retired for so long was that players had trouble remembering what it did.

[@georgem7502]

30+ minutes of limited review from Nizz, brilliant looking forward to it. Crystal clear as always; I'd love to hear you lecture on your medieval history too, are you gonna make a second channel for that? :))

[@CommanderGinyu]

Gauntlets of light synergizes pretty well with the Caplan. A virtual 5/5 lifelink with untap ability on t3 isn’t to be underestimated

[@Blackvolttage]

Also, pretty great with fencing ace. a 3/3 double striker at turn 3 is quite fearsome. You surely dont need a toughtness build around to run a this card. Fliers also work great

[@NizzahonMagic]

I mean yeah, there's things you can do that are great with it -- but not enough of them. It will be bad way more often than its good.

[@michaelwright7156]

I honk you are underrating loxodon lifechanter, it basically can’t die from damage based removal and it’s hard to keep supplying chump blockers for the entire game (which given he can threaten minimum ten damage, you are normally required to block). His toughness can get high enough that even with multiple blockers you may not be able to kill him. His etb ability can also offer situationally strong upside, but it’s smaller factor I think. I think this is a solid B

[@bangonia4116]

Big Thanks for getting these out so early. These really help for the prerelease!

[@mr.nelson9481]

Thank you for doing these videos in such a timely fashion. Reviewing your videos is part of my pre- prerelease routine. I'm getting to where I try to predict your grade before you say it. I need some work!

[@a.velderrain8849]

I think Sephara is a little better than you give her credit. She synergizes well with the token generation in this set and can easily come in for 1 mana, I think. A 7/7 flying life link Angel that gives other creatures indestructible is pretty good for only tapping 4 creatures and one white.

[@NizzahonMagic]

How does she synergies with tokens? Aren't many lower rariry cards that make flying tokens. I may be underrating her, but it isn't becausw you will cast her for W on a regular basis. It is going to ve very haed to make that happen.

[@tinss619]

a quick tip with that Loxidon Life chanter, if you use his ability to gain life equal to the toughness, and your opponent responds by removing a bunch of creatures you can always change your "May" trigger to no. I learned this the hard way during a GP with a similar "may" mechanic that makes a creature fight, he targeted my creature to fight, I buffed it in response, and he changed his answer to no, so I called a judge to find out I was wrong

[@acedemon3434]

Dam might save me at prerelease/draft didn't know that thx

[@tinss619]

@@acedemon3434 yea. Good luck man.

[@acedemon3434]

@@tinss619 thank you

[@olafthemoose9413]

The color hate cards are super dope in two headed giant I guess because it's very unlikely that they play only 3 colors.

[@sengir84]

I'm loving Brought Back. Can even bring back Planeswalkers.

[@baileynicholson251]

Can u make these reviews as a pdf I am fairly sure you have research. I would just like to have a convenient spreadsheet off your grades.

[@BrunoNunes83]

hey nizzahon, that song in the opening is not "I Can Feel it Coming Kevin MacLeod", can you tell us that song's name?

[@TheDougWay]

I think Brought Back and Inspired charge are both better than were rated. It probably won't be that hard to make a deck with a lot of creatures and then you'll easily get a lot of value out of them.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Inspired Charge has been printed like 10 times and I am going on a lot of experience for the grade. Brought Back could turn out better for sure

[@Jay-ws6kj]

9:05 I think Bishop of Wings will be a good combo with Sigil of The Empty Throne in my commander deck 😌

[@MP-kw5ud]

Just finished Mana Leeks Set Review for white... guess I have to see another one right now. :D

[@jellosapiens7261]

So glad they're bringing protection back.

[@adamdettelbach6863]

How did you make this so fast? Have you just been doing it all along the preview time?

[@golgariguy]

I watch this every time even if I never have time to play Magic :( keep it up man!

[@zackyferret]

Sephara is at least a b-. I understamd the downside but there is more than enough flyers to build a good deck for her to be the perfect curve topper. I could defientally see myself first picking here in a weaker pack

[@NizzahonMagic]

Could definitely be right.

[@Yentz4]

I agree. Blue/White Flyers definitely seems to be a very strongly pushed theme this set, and there are a TON of them. Having 4 flyers out is *not* unreasonable. Your opponents are unlikely to have any kind of mass removal. And a 7/7 Lifelink Flyer that gives all your flyers indestructible is just straight up a win *if* your opponent does not have removal in hand or topdeck it.

[@NizzahonMagic]

@@Yentz4 having 4 out is super unreasonable in Limited. That is (generously) half the flyers in your deck in most cases. I agree that making the flyers indestructible is nice, but thinking you will consistently use the alternate cost here is just kidding yourself.

[@TheRealBitterbub]

Speaking of white, I am amazed they actually brought back rule of law, and the ley-line of sanctity, and most of them honestly, at least the good ones.

[@voxkine9385]

Ajani + angel of vitality: does angel trigger the +1 life twice on Ajani’s +1?

[@NizzahonMagic]

No, you just gain 1 more life.

[@AlcerusOfficial]

Bishop of Wings (gain 4 life when an angel enters under your control; when an angel you control dies, create a Spirit token) would go great with Divine Visitation (whenever a token would be made for you, make a 4/4 flying vigilance angel instead) and Angelic Accord (at the beginning of each end step, if you gained 4 or more life this turn, create a 4/4 flying angel token).

[@NizzahonMagic]

Neither of which are in this format.

[@AlcerusOfficial]

@@NizzahonMagic Yes, but I can use M20 in vintage. I was just making an observation, I wasn't trying to correct you or anything. I figured that you were doing Limited haha

[@corey2232]

*All Given Grades (For Future Reference):* Ajani, Strength of the Pride: B+ Hanged Executioner: B+ Cavalier of Dawn: B Master Splicer: B Pacifism: B Angel of Vitality: B- Brought Back: B- Planar Cleansing: B- Aerial Assault: C+ Ancestral Blade: C+ Battalion Foot Soldier: C+ Griffin Protector: C+ Herald of the Sun: C+ Inspiring Captain: C+ Loxodon Lifechanter: C+ Raise the Alarm: C+ Sephara, Sky's Blade: C+ Steadfast Sentry: C+ Angelic Gift: C Daybreak Chaplain: C Glaring Aegis: C Gods Willing: C Eternal Isolation: C- / B- (Sideboard) Fencing Ace: C- Griffin Sentinel: C- Moment of Heroism: C- Moorland Inquisitor: C- Starfield Mystic: C- / C+ (Build-Around) Bishop of Wings: D+ / C+ (Build-Around) Dawning Angel: D+ Inspired Charge: D+ / C+ (Build-Around) Squad Captain: D+ Apostle of Purifying Light: D / C+ (Sideboard) Disenchant: D / C (Sideboard) Devout Decree: F / B+ (Sideboard) Gauntlets of Light: F Leyline of Sanctity: F Loyal Pegasus: F / C (Aggro Deck) Rule of Law: F Soulmender: F Yoked Ox: F

[@jeffreyjohnson3687]

I feel like your reasoning on Sephara is gonna be one of those "I don't know how I wrote off this card" bits in 3 months. Maybe it is harder to get so many flyers out at once than I think, but it's a bit of a stretch to say it just dies to removal. Most things do.

[@NizzahonMagic]

It isn't just that it dies, it is that it is so expensive and dies to several commons that cost 3 or less mana. I like my 7 mana cards to give me at least some value even id they die. That said, I could definitely be wrong. Won't be super shocked if she is more like a B, would be shocked at anything more

[@Firespirit-se7ni]

Thank god protection is coming back

[@SupaFry99]

The ox is back baby!!!!

[@Lonewanderer6666]

Meta Meta prediction: Nizzahon is gonna get at least 15 cards wrong in this set by a letter grade. Also ancestor's blade is a solid B. It's a bear that can also rebuff for +1/+1 if you reequipe. Angel of Vitality is a C+, possibly a C. Not that much lifegain and it's a 2/2 for 2W. Boughtback is better then B-. Cavalier is a C... all the Cavalier demands too much mana specific to cast and the white one doesn't do much. 5 Mana 4/6 vilgance is a C at best. Fencing ace is A+ if you draft the hammer. Planar Cleansing is a B in this heavy creature draft. Battlelion foot soldier is probably just a C.. no human payoff compared to the Ixalian vampire counter part.

[@joshuaeverett9887]

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but there seems to be a lot of Innistrad and Theros flavor in this set...

[@NizzahonMagic]

I think after our next set, which has been stated as being a New plane, we are going back to Theros.

[@OneOfDisease]

Using brought back on ajani pw would feel very good.

[@timrichards8418]

Yoked Ox holds Auras really well.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Does it though?

[@timrichards8418]

@@NizzahonMagic it's hard to kill in response due to the high toughness and the cost means it can come out under the more expensive spells. Plus it can attack for days and not have to worry about dying in combat. I always have a soft spot for the little guy though so maybe I'm biased (always feels like a sort of comfort blanket to play).

[@NizzahonMagic]

@@timrichards8418 Auras are inherently risky, if I am playing one it better help me do a ton of damage in a hurry, putting it on an 0/4 does not do that.

[@timrichards8418]

@@NizzahonMagic fair enough.

[@Matt-dc8lp]

As usual white seems very weak. Dont get me wrong, there's definitely a few removal spells worth splashing but overall not a color I would actively seek.

[@eloidasarmi6815]

If we take 2 horrendous cards (ox and gauntlets of light) we will have 7\7 pseudo vigilant beast for just 4 mana xd

[@alasanof]

Rule of Law is gonna be a required card if we get another Yugioh Arena weekend draft.

[@chrisfu1736]

Lol so basically every card in white is crap aside from Cavalier of Dawn.

[@adoodwithgood]

No A ratings

[@NizzahonMagic]

Nope, I noticed that with White. No real bombs -- maybe Ajani or Cavalier get there.

[@nickbalmes6640]

Protection being back in standard is going to shake up the format so much.

[@Quebradanet]

You're not going to cast Squad Captain unless it's at least a 4/4, so I don't see how it's worse than a C. Sure, there are a few games where you are going to lose anyway where you'll just roll it out because it's all you have, but there will be a lot more games where you can set it up to be a 6/6 or better and it'll eat their creatures while shutting down most of their offense, in that case it's at least a B.

[@NizzahonMagic]

I would be shocked to see it at B. But C could end up being too low.

[@Quebradanet]

I think it's probably a B- overall, some games it'll be fine others it'll be great, but it's definitely much better than the Boneclad Necromancer you give a C+ to. I'd rather just have a 5/5 for 5, which is no better than a C, than have 2 bodies with no evasion that will almost never have good attacks by the time they finally come down. Eternal Skylord was really good because the token had flying, but I don't think the Skylord itself ever did anything relevant for me but sit around as a virtual enchantment.

[@dilflover1419]

nice

[@cspeeds96]

Whooooo

[@meerkov1]

4x Battalion Foot Soldier = C+? Oh boy, I'll call it now, this is going in the mistake video. This card is unplayable. I'll be over here running real C+ like Steadfast Sentry in my 3 slot.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Did you play with Legion Conquistador? I had my doubts about it, but it did the job, even without vampire synergy. I could be wrong, but the rating mostly based on that experience.

[@meerkov1]

@@NizzahonMagic Nope, I didn't. Guess I could be wrong too!

[@moosemoosey1114]

Dont listen to anyone else, I was first

[@blue-phoenix115]

Moose Moosey L

[@pulkerify]

Second :3

[@deathpunch2169]

Actually first.

[@blue-phoenix115]

L