Outlaws of Thunder Junction Set Review: Multicolored & Colorless | Magic: the Gathering

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It's almost time for the Outlaws of Thunder Junction Pre-Release! In this video I give you my thoughts on the new cards for Magic: the Gathering's newest set, focusing on how they play in Limited.
What my grades mean:
I use a letter grade system, and my grades usually fall into a bell curve (Very few A’s and F’s, lots of C’s.)
A - Bombs that are always your first pick, they completely warp the game in your favor, and they easily pull you into their color(s). You always first pick these. These are cards you are ecstatic to have in your deck. Most sets have 15-20 of these. Tend to mostly be Mythics or Rares, though sometimes an Uncommon gets there.
(Unstable Glyph Bridge, Zoetic Glyph, Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal)
B - Premium removal spells and highly efficient creatures, often worth first picking. Still strong enough to pull you into their colors, but not quite as game or draft warping as A’s are. These are cards you feel good about having in your deck, and you would play several copies of most of them. Mostly Uncommons and higher, but there are usually 5-10 commons that get there too.
(Oltec Cloud Guard, Inverted Iceberg, Join the Dead)
C - Filler. These are cards you neither feel good or bad about having in your deck. You play them if you’re in their colors, but they don’t tempt you to go into their color at all. Usually includes reasonably efficient creatures, good combat tricks, and removal spells. These appear at all rarities, but are most frequently Common. (Ironpaw Aspirant, Brackish Blunder, River Herald Guide)
D - Playable in an emergency. These are cards that you don’t feel so good about playing, but in a pinch, sometimes you just have to play them. These are often inefficient vanilla creatures or overly narrow cards. These appear at all rarities. (Frilled Cave Wurm, Glowcap Lantern, Seeker of Sunlight)
F - Unplayable. These are cards that you should never play. There are very few of these in modern Limited formats, but they do appear at all rarities, with the most usually appearing at Rare and Common. These are cards whose effects are pretty much useless or overly narrow. (The Enigma Jewel, Canonized in Blood, Hit the Mother Lode)
There are two categories of cards that I give two grades to: Build Arounds and Sideboard Cards.
Build Around: These are cards that need special synergy to be at their best - synergy that won’t just come naturally. For these cards, I give one grade indicating how I think the card will perform in a typical deck of that color, and another grade if you manage to get there on synergy. (Gargantuan Leech, Terror Tide, Throne of the Grim Captain)
Sideboard Cards: These are generally cards that are Ds or Fs in your mainboard, but can perform much better out of the sideboard - at least as a C or higher
(Tectonic Hazard, Malicious Eclipse)
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I Can Feel it Coming Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com )
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[@NizzahonMagic]

Happy set review season everyone! There's one card missing from this video. They did some weird set numbering stuff as a result of jamming a few cards from the canceled epilogue set into this one. So, here's my thoughts on that card. 265 -Bucolic Ranch - F / C+ If you have enough mounts this can be a nice land. If you don't, it doesn't fix well enough to be worthwhile. When you can get that activated ability to hit a card it'll feel great, too. So, it really needs a buildaround grade. It's an F in most decks in the format, but a C+ if you have 10 or so mounts, which doesn't seem impossible.

[@emblem3272]

As a note on Laughing Jasper Flint, the first line can sometimes matter because any creature you get from his second ability is one you don't own. So the first ability makes it even easier for the second to snowball

[@gcleeman]

I think he missed that you're steal the cards from your opponents deck. Which is insanely more powerful exileing 3 or 4 cards a turn from your opponents deck will end a game of limited real fast

[@NizzahonMagic]

Good call, definitely means he can snowball even more.

[@toonvanzijl2351]

In the late game, this card can even allow you to mill out your opponent

[@schmian95]

If your opponent doesn't immediately remove Flint, he is going to win you the game. You'll see more of your opponents cards than they will, meaning even if they're deck is better, you just get to play their deck better than them, and in a stalemate, they'll end up getting milled out. I honestly think he might just be the strongest card in the set for limited.

[@austinandrioff8186]

“It’s not like treasure is completely broken…it’s just not that strong of a payoff” That sentence just imploded the heads of commander players

[@michaelwambaugh6726]

A couple ideas for the future that this video has inspired me into wanting to see: 1. A flavor video about this set. I was excited to see a Paul Bunyan inspired legendary, and I didn’t notice any other tall tales or real world legends. Maybe they just arent multi colored or I missed them, but if theres a lot I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.. especially as a history teacher. 2. With all these kellens getting reprinted I wonder if you’ve ever done a top 10 on like.. recurring legendaries. Like adding up all the kellen wins together or all jace wins. I’m sure thatd take a lot more researching, but the competiton would be stacked. Would love to see it. Anyway. Ty for the prerelease content, your channel is always my go to for this.

[@gakk8658]

Just reserved my seat at a prerelease this afternoon. Perfect time to start watching my secret weapon, Nizzahon's set reviews. Thanks for what you do and for making such quality content, Nizzahon!

[@gkeuler]

It's everyone's favorite time of year, set review time!

[@tommysagemar]

I don't play that much anymore but these videos are still so good ❤

[@NizzahonMagic]

Enjoy!

[@RibusPQR]

The dual deserts commit a crime on ETB.

[@blabik]

Criminalicious

[@yorkieandthechihuahua]

And the one you pay three to make a creature unable to block does one each time you do that. Expensive, perhaps, but could be useful in a crime-based deck.

[@xavii5310]

I appreciate the well organized "Outlaws of Thunder Junction Set Review" playlist you made...I am coming back to play arena after two years and this playlist helps me review information in a timely and efficient manner. Thank you 🤝 Looking forward to finishing the rest of the playlist tonight!

[@glmcg132]

Another important thing about the dual deserts is that the damage targets the opponent, so you commit a crime on enter

[@efroeli]

Thanks for your hard work, as always!

[@NizzahonMagic]

Thanks for enjoying it!

[@SirGrimLockSmithVIII]

Eriette is totally a trap rare if you have no information prior to drafting the set.

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yeah if this were Theros or Eldraine she might be an A+.

[@DerekLippold]

@@NizzahonMagicyeah exactly. I’m getting the impression that this set won’t be as good for limited but has good potential for constructed formats.

[@mrfishman9016]

three auras in the set, two of which are out of color and the other being a 4 mana blue card that completely shuts down a card thus making it useless to steal

[@SirGrimLockSmithVIII]

@@mrfishman9016 well, now she's definitely a trap rare. Can't even build around her if you wanted to

[@togglebott7748]

24:30 You missed the fact that creatures you cast from the top of your opponent’s library count as cards you control but don’t own! Which makes this card significantly better, as it snowballs really well

[@matthewludivico1714]

So he might be more of an A+ in a mercenaries deck that uses cards from the opponent's grave (Etali, Multiverse) or steals from the deck (new Rakdos). Also I wonder if there might be a niche use if you are exiting your opponents' graveyards, because then you will be exiling bonus mercenaries.

[@glmcg132]

I think the most important part about vial smasher is that he commits a crime whenever he or another outlaw enters. Since the grixis colors are all about that (apart from maybe izzet specifically) i think he is better than you give him credit for

[@ianlockard9694]

Agreed, he's great in grixis colors as an enabler and is a solid beater besides.

[@matthewmoore1356]

Thanks for the quality content. I REALLY missed your archetype guide. You are usually my first source on how to draft a new set. I noticed a lot of creators skipped the archetype video. Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge!!

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yeah, I skipped as a result of some unexpected travel. Otherwise I would have done it. Thinking I will do it a couple weeks into the format this time

[@DerekLippold]

Yasss! Let’s go! I’m definitely more pumped for this set than the last one.

[@theEevee098]

Gold Pan: "...you have 1 mana leftover alot..." (Next card) Lavaspur Boots: "...you don't have the extra mana lying around often enough..."

[@ianlockard9694]

Haha, I do agree that it sounds silly, but I think he was trying to emphasize that the haste is often irrelevant. If you want equipment, it will generate value later by being able to move stats around for cheap, but haste is more valuable on curve and in that case you will be less likely to have the extra mana. But both seem fine for the later game depending on if you value toughness or ward 1

[@BobCain2006]

Great job as always!

[@Ganondward]

Looks like the only worthwhile upkeep interaction Obeka has in the main set is Laughing Jasper Flint. Unlikely, but fun if it ever happens.

[@VulcanHeStan]

I had a Tasha deck that was fun, but when I saw the new Rakdos, I ripped it apart for Don Andres. Then I saw Flint and was like... Yes please. And Double Down, already got some fun brewing with my "Plunder the Thunder" deck. Lots of fun

[@olipod5470]

Let’s gooooo, it’s set review time!

[@NizzahonMagic]

Enjoy it

[@aefunk]

great video, thanks! thought on ping duals vs rare duals: i think its the ping duals you want more, not as much because of the desert type but because of the crime trigger from pinging target opponent.

[@jdogx211]

Thunder Junction looking to be one of the most overpowered and coolest sets yet!

[@littlemrdoom5997]

I believe that the common duels also count as committing a crime so that's something, right?

[@andyspendlove1019]

Yeah that’s definitely not nothing

[@dvicko]

Very nice review thanks :) Could you also mention in which deck could the cards fit best?

[@joshuahalliburton7711]

I'm a little worried for this format based on the amount and quality of bombs running around😅. Let's hope this actually turns out to be a good format

[@Tylerbremner]

I love your set reviews 😊

[@NizzahonMagic]

Glad you like them!

[@matthewludivico1714]

Lilah and Honest Rutstein seem great for Constructed. Malcom the Eyes is great too.

[@FallenStarFeatures]

The Desert lands in this set can potentially fuel Scavenger Grounds, a colorless land which sac's a Desert to exile all graveyards.

[@togglebott7748]

50:00 these lands also commit a crime, which is very relevant in this set! Surprised you didn’t mention this, I think this fact makes them significantly better

[@matthewludivico1714]

It will also chain well in decks that reward creatures and combos for pinging the opponent's health.

[@johanandresacostaortiz444]

Here we go Again People 🤠❗ 🐎

[@thatoneguy986]

Something that I didn't think I heard you mention (apologies if you did!) was the the ping lands target an opponent, so they commit crimes. Also Sandstorm verge gives you a way to consistently commit a crime every turn (it's a repeatable offense!). I don't think they make the cards THAT much better, but they could in the right deck. For instance, you could play at knife point on turn 4 to follow it up with a tapped desert for instant merc token.

[@Buster_Scruggs]

Locomotive has some additional upside in heavy merc decks, you can overcrew it with a bunch of merc tokens to create a bunch of treasure.

[@hideofujino9708]

You can only do once a turn

[@Buster_Scruggs]

@hideofujino9708 once a turn you can tap as many creatures as you choose

[@hideofujino9708]

@@Buster_Scruggs the luxury locomotive has written in it that it limits to only one activation per turn

[@leannotmean]

​@@hideofujino9708You can crew it once per turn but with as many creatures as you want, meaning treasures for each creature that crewed it

[@Buster_Scruggs]

@hideofujino9708 The description for activating a crew ability is as follows: (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more, this vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn) Each creature you tap is not a separate activation. The point of the once per turn thing is to prevent you from triggering crew effects multiple times by using the effect multiple times in one turn. It would be a weird error on wizards for the text to say that you create a treasure for each creature that crewed it if it fundamentally could only be crewed by one creature.

[@sgjuxta]

With Taii Wakeen you forgot the 5% of the time that you just headshot your opponent with him by making a Slick Shot (or something similar) do like 8 damage to your opponent. He's actually a bit scary in that regard, as, if your opponent has him in play, any time your life total starts getting down to around the amount of mana your opponent has access to, you're potentially in the danger zone.

[@JoeyDCote]

I have to say, I REALLY like the art in this set. And I don't like Westerns. But this Magic Westerns works for me. Laughing Jasper Flint is awesome. I think this set is going to be a lot of fun to add to Commander.

[@woodysmith2681]

Arid Archway bounces a Desert-Dual-Ping-Land (or whatever you wanna call that cycle), letting you ping again.

[@catoticneutral]

Eriette is a cool card. Sucks that there's only 3 auras in this set and the only one in her colors is blue tap removal so you won't even be able to attack with the creatures you gain control of unless you're going 4+ colors.

[@Hagrites]

Honstly, BG or GU is gonna be good this set. There is a new mythic hydra that is OP as hell, creating treasures equal to its power when it dies.

[@justinleandoer6821]

Does vraska the silencer's treasure creatures activate the former creatures etb?

[@sallomon2357]

It's a replacement effect that makes this a noncreature, but it is still a permanent, and nothing in ETB templating states anything against it triggering in these circumstances, so I would say yes. Good catch! Certainly makes this better.

[@johngleeman8347]

I know that deserts have been a land subtype for a long time. I wonder what other synergy cards there are for deserts?

[@JasonOshinko]

Other than this set, pretty much just Amonkhet block. There are a couple in Arabian Nights but they don't really hold up to today's power standard.

[@AlbecoSound]

Sevala is going to be really nice in a coven deck. Because you’ll almost always be getting at least 3 mana worth when you tap her. And even if she’s the only creature you have out, casting a second creature is I’ll almost certainly get you to coven. Other than that, I don’t really see her having a designated home in constructed

[@StrawDog18]

Another bonus to the desert duels is they commit a crime on etb for free which seems really nice in decks that care about that.

[@AngoDecay]

akul is only really playable if youre exactly in rakdos

[@cax1175]

3:48 The good guys to me just wanted to consume all mana.

[@marcoottina654]

15:40 Ghired is busting "Populate" decks to the moon! 39:25 Edit: ... Wait .. Tali is CUMULATIVE? And lasting the WHOLE turn? Wow! I'll build around her! 41:30 now give Devoted Druid to an opponent and kill it -> infinite mana

[@funguslore]

49:45 don't forget that the ping ability of the commen duel lands in this set counts as commiting a crime

[@NizzahonMagic]

Yep, another point in their favor that could make them better than the rare duals

[@oxpolitik]

Lázav or Lazáv? 🤔

[@riccardocalosso5688]

C- for gold pan is a fair assessment. I don't think it's gonna... ...PAN out!

[@romankozelov5078]

I easily can see Sandstorm Verge winning games. Not a lot, but sometimes

[@togglebott7748]

I really hope this set isn’t super fast but I’m not getting my hopes up

[@woodysmith2681]

Saddle seems like a better version of Crew. Kudos to MTG devs.

[@user-qt7nd7uu8y]

I think dual deserts will be much better, since they also trigger crime

[@Nobody-xe9fc]

Not having Nashi in this set after seeing he was in one of this set's ministories made me feel disappointed.

[@riccardocalosso5688]

Breeches is as good a card as how uncanny the face in its art is. I would love to own a copy, but I don't think I could be able to sleep knowing he might be in one of my decks, watching, waiting...

[@sdgc8667]

Cornal profiteering major destroys every deck that uses a 'sacrifice at the end step' card with tokens. They have to sac them, you don't.

[@cax1175]

45:42 EVERYTHING IS KICKER

[@nbrisendine457]

At knifepoint is insane, calling it that its great

[@xxANBUxx]

So many bombs just in this video god damn, makes me really worried lol

[@NizzahonMagic]

It is fairly typical of the multicolored video

[@AZNCIess]

Isn't Kellan nuts with all those plotted spells running around?

[@ianlockard9694]

Well, he's just good in general. The problem with the plotting is it isn't necessarily happening all the time. There's no inherent pay off to plot, except cards like these that give you pay offs. If you're opponent is curving out you might need to just play out you plot spells rather than holding them for Kellan. But he is good on face value and even if it triggers once you go way ahead.

[@AZNCIess]

@@ianlockard9694 Makes sense indeed that plotting might not occur as often as you hope! but still a nice card indeed

[@matthewjamesmjw4172]

Not sure how Bonny Pall can attack on it’s first turn in play. It doesn’t have haste, nor does Beau. 8:25

[@Witschewatsch]

It does not need to attack, you can attack with any of your creatures and the ability will trigger.

[@matthewjamesmjw4172]

@@Witschewatsch I see. I was confused by his wording of "this creature will draw a card anytime you attack" Which is technically true - but it implies that the creature would be doing the attacking.

[@GTATLIEN]

​@@matthewjamesmjw4172 No, it says whenever "a" creature attacks.

[@matthewjamesmjw4172]

@@GTATLIEN No it doesn't. It says "Whenever YOU attack..." Like I said.

[@cax1175]

Colorless gang rise up.

[@titon7608]

Blue White Control is getting way too strong in standard tbh. Assimilation Aegis is one piece of removal i did not want to see in standard control decks.

[@faerie7dragon]

Can't wait to see how many players are left at 1 life, only to die to a land drop.

[@jackiespaceman]

I think old rutstein is a mythic uncommon

[@Redpoppy80]

I think the desert lands will overperform this set. Not only do they fix but there is a lot of support and some payoffs for deserts specifically and they also commit crimes without having to burn a whole card to commit a crime.

[@jdogx211]

LOVE LOOT! HE IS SO CUTE! ALSO, SURPRISE, HES JACE AND VRASKAS SON!!! ADOPTED, sure, but still. 👨‍👨‍👧

[@stuflames4769]

Jace and Vraska huh? That's a weird pairing.

[@sshim950]

: )

[@HelminthCombos]

Satoru's ability is so poorly written change it to > Whenever Satoru, the Infiltrator or another nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, if no mana was spent or if it was not cast, draw a card.

[@southernxsouth4729]

First!!!

[@shadowofseattle1338]

Why are there a butt ton of planeswalker characters but freaking stupid oko is the only one given the type? I swear to god nothing can justify having your only planeswalker be the guy who face-f****d every format immediately

[@thefreshproduce]

Arenas deck based matchmaking makes it dog shit compared to paper wish they would axe that nonsense

[@kapitanoiglo3198]

Okay ,the Rakdos 5/ 5 flying for 4 is B- und the Medium 3/3 Goblin ist B+ wtf 😅

[@AroWolfArts]

Having an exact casting cost is a way bigger downside than you realize. Also the 3/3 has a worthwhile ability that you'll be able to pull off from time to time while the 5/5's effect might as well not even be there.

[@NizzahonMagic]

One is much harder to cast than the other and has an irrelevant ability.

[@gkeuler]

Annie Flash, the 3 color 6 drop an "A"!! What dream fantasy land are you living in, this card does not cost 1 and is not aggressive, there will be 8 commons above it on 17lands sadly

[@Jack-uh2db]

on 17lands the best rare in MKM was a 6 drop lol, only outpaced by a couple (maybe only 1?) mythics. And annie is kind of reminiscent of izoni in that she’s an army in a can that snowballs

[@joshsobelman9779]

Important to note that the common deserts also commit crimes

[@dickhammerbush172]

Mount cycle madness

[@snapistician]

51:32 Sandstorm Verge may find a home in Dimir crime decks as a 4-mana repeatable commit crime trigger.