Welcome all to the Daily Dose of Core Set 2020 where prerelease week continues! Today I’ll be talking about those 3 cards you see just before the rare in your booster pack, the uncommons! I find with Core Sets that the uncommons are the key to building a good draft or sealed deck. They will often be the glue that holds the deck together between your bombs (if you are lucky enough to open any) and your pool of commons.
Ancestral Blade – This is a great equipment that also gives you a 2/2 creature for two mana. Later in the game it will just keep providing bonuses to your other creatures.
Apostle of Purifying Light – You get a 2-power creature for two mana that can also evade a lot of the removal in the format. Exiling cards from graveyards could also be relevant.
Gods Willing – This combat trick does it all. It can act as a counterspell, a way to win a combat scenario, or make a creature basically unblockable to go in for some damage. Oh, you also get to Scry 1 as well.
Air Elemental – A 4/4 Flying creature will often win you games of Limited just by itself. It doesn’t need any other abilities to have value.
Scholar of the Ages – Speaking of value, this can not only get you a 3/3 onto the battlefield but 2 instants or sorcery spells back from your graveyard. Worth it even with the seven-casting cost.
Spectral Sailor – A 1/1 Flying creature can go along way to get in some early damage. It also works well with equipment in the set. Giving it flash means it can be a quick chump blocker if needed. Later in the game it can start drawing you an extra card each turn.
Blood for Bones – This is another in the line of value spells, getting back one creature directly onto the battlefield and once creature back to your hand.
Disfigure – A cheap removal spell and/or combat trick that your opponent usually won’t see coming.
Gravedigger – This equates to basically a free 2/2 creature in which you can get your best available creature back from your graveyard to your hand.
Vampire of the Dead Moon – I’m a big fan of any creature with deathtouch as it can always trade up and provide more value than a one drop creature usually can. With lifelink it can have some synergies with other cards in the set that want you to gain life.
Dragon Mage – This is one of the biggest flying creatures in the set and can also net you 7 new cards each time it deals combat damage. It’s important to note that you will get to use your 7 new cards before your opponent does.
Ember Hauler – This creature often plays as a 3-mana spell that can deal 2 damage to any target, but often you can get in for a few attacks before needing to sacrifice it.
Mask of Immolation – Another sweet equipment that creatures a creature. In this case, it is an Elemental which works well with other cards in the set. You always know that you will at least be able to deal 1 damage to any target every time it’s equipped.
Uncaged Fury – One of the best offensive combat tricks in the set. Often ends up adding 4 or more power to the creature. Occasionally, you can use it defensively as well to give your blocker double strike. This spell can often win games out of nowhere.
Barkhide Troll – To start off you get a 3/3 for only two mana, which is very strong. It can also protect itself in future turns by removing a +1/+1 counter.
Howling Giant – Anytime you can put 9 power on the battlefield, you will be in an advantageous position. Howling Giant also has reach which helps combat all those white and blue flying creatures going around.
Pulse of Murasa – Great card to play at the end of your opponents turn to gain a quick 6 life and get back a good creature to cast during your turn.
Thrashing Brontodon – This reprint has great stats for a three-mana creature and if needed can remove a pesky enchantment or artifact.
Empyrean Eagle – If you are playing blue/white, this will be one of the key uncommons to look for when building your deck. It’s great by itself, but can help pump up your whole team of flying creatures.
Ironroot Warlord – Five toughness is great for a 3-casting cost creature. Later in the game it can start creating creatures to fill your side of the battlefield and make itself bigger.
Risen Reef – This creature makes it so every Elemental you play for the rest of the game is basically a free card. You might even be able to cycle a few of them together.
Diamond Knight – This is great if you are playing a deck focused on one colour over another. It will grow with each spell you cast and can be an offensive threat and defensive safety net thanks to its Vigilance ability.
Meteor Golem – At seven mana it is expensive, but it’s the only card in the set that can destroy any nonland permanent.
Cryptic Caves – We have seen the how lands like Horizon Canopy add mid-to-late game value to your mana base and I believe Cryptic Caves can do the same.
You are now set with a little guide to help you choose some of the best uncommon cards from Core Set 2020 to help you in Limited play. Thanks again for reading the Daily Dose of Core Set 2020. Join me again tomorrow as I continue prerelease week by providing a Guide to Combat Tricks and Removal Cards by Colour.
