Welcome all to the start of Prerelease week here on the Daily Dose of Guilds of Ravnica.
I'll post an article every day this week focused on helping you prepare for your local Prerelease. Today, I'll be talking about the top commons that you'll want in your deck. Tuesday, I'll switch my focus to the top uncommon cards to grab at your Sealed event. Wednesday, I'll post a guide for the new combat tricks and removal spells in Guilds of Ravnica. Thursday will have a special video episode of the Daily Dose featuring some deckbuilding with a Prerelease Kit so that you can see how to build your 40-card deck. And finally on Friday I'll wrap things up with a discussion of the five guilds and how to approach playing them.
So, now that you know the game plan let's jump in to the top commons you'll want to keep an eye out for this weekend.
Collar the Culprit – With 33 or more targets available for this spell, there is a good chance it can take out a powerful threat. But be careful, there are still some powerful creatures that sneak through at three toughness or less.
Healer’s Hawk – This little bird is Mentor’s best friend. A perfect target for Boros' attacking creatures,being a flying creature with lifelink means that you can get some serious damage through in the air while gaining life at the same time.
Hunted Witness – Two creatures for the low, low cost of just one mana. It evens improves once it dies, adding lifelink onto the 1/1 Soldier token it creates. Not as powerful as a Doomed Traveller was back in the day, but still a great one-drop to have in your deck.
Luminous Bonds – A great reprint. Almost every set needs a card like this to deal with threats that will kill you by attacking or blocking. This card might not stop activated abilities, but don't worry, it's still strong.
Passwall Adept – Sometimes, late in a Limited game, you'll find yourself in a stalemate once both players have filled the battlefield with creatures. Both are afraid to go in for an all-out attack because of the counter attack that might come straight back at them. This cared allows you to get in safe hits with one or more creatures to slowly kill your opponent.
Dead Weight – Another solid reprint that can remove most early-to-mid game creatures around. You can even use it later in the game to finish off a creature post-combat, or to shrink a creature and get an attack through.
Deadly Visit – One of the only straight up creature removal spells in the format. It's a common removal spell with a reasonable cost. Plus, Surveil 2 could help you find the next card you need or add some fuel to the graveyard.
Hired Poisoner – I love to see cards like this in Limited. There's nothing better than when your opponent can't attack with their large creature because you have a 1/1 with deathtouch on the battlefield. Even if they have to use a removal spell, they're using it on a 1/1 one-drop rather than on one of your larger threats.
Moodmark Painter – I’m a fan of this card due to its ability in the mid-to-late game to get in a large attack with a creature. Adding menace to it means that either it can't be blocked, or you should clear out two creatures trying to block it.
Severed Strands – This card is like Vicious Offering since you can sacrifice a creature to kill anything on the battlefield. There's also the bonus of gaining life from the sacrificed creature, but it is a dead card if you don't have any creatures around to sacrifice.
Command the Storm – This is like Fiery Intervention, except you can play it as an instant to blow out your opponent if needed. This is a solid red removal spell that eliminates all but six creatures from Guilds of Ravnica. This is the closest to straight up removal that red is going to offer.
Direct Current – This card is a great way to remove two smaller threats on the battlefield. In the late game you can always use it to deal four damage to finish off your opponent.
Wojek Bodyguard – Limited often has a lot of creatures on the battlefield and only a limited number of removal cards available. This means that having a friend to attack or block with this card shouldn't be an issue. Thanks to Mentor and its high power, it should help by adding a lot of +1/+1 counters to your other attackers.
Crushing Canopy – Both modes on this card are usually separate cards themselves, like Plummet and Naturalize. Having both options on one card makes this a main deck card instead of one that comes out of the sideboard.
Pack’s Favor – Beware this spell when your opponent is tapped out and you think there's nothing to worry about during combat. Trust me when I say that during Prerelease you or someone you know will get blown out during combat because of this card.
Artful Takedown – This instant can be used on the attack or defense. On your turn, you can tap down a creature and kill another to get an attacker through for a lot of damage. On your opponent's turn, you can tap down a creature at the start of combat and kill a second.
Erstwhile Trooper – Abilities like the one on Erstwhile Trooper are hard to play around since they could happen at any time. Because it can become a 4/4 quite easily, it makes it hard to block and harder to attack into it.
Notion Rain – A great card draw spell that surpasses what Divination or Read the Bones can do. Being able to add some potential fuel to your graveyard is a bonus that brings this card draw spell from good to great.
And there you have it folks, the commons that you'll want to watch out for when opening your Prerelease kits this coming weekend. Just remember when building your deck that you only get 6-8 rares, and around 18 uncommons. That means choosing common cards is key to rounding out the build of your deck.
Thanks again for joining me on the Daily Dose of Guilds of Ravnica. Join me again tomorrow as I check out the best uncommons for Prerelease!
