Welcome all to the Daily Dose of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. This week there'll be some articles to help you prepare for Limited play in Ikoria. Today I’m going to be focusing on the cards you see the most in your booster packs, commons. Ikoria is a set that is high in power level, and that trickles all the way down to the commons in each pack. Commons are often overlooked, but they shouldn’t be in Ikoria. There are plenty of deck archetypes to choose from in Ikoria, and knowing the best commons in the entire set will help you decide how to build your deck. Ikoria wants you to play multicolour, often 3-coloured decks which means you will get to be able to choose the best commons of each colour.
Here are some of the best commons from Ikoria that you will want to be playing with your first chance at Limited play coming up soon.
Blade Banish – With so many big bad creatures running around, there are sure to be some targets for this spell that also exiles the creature.
Drannith Healer – There are cards that cycle in every colour, and this will help gain you a little extra value each time you decide to cycle.
Pacifism – One of the best removal spells when it comes down to combat. Can’t beat it for only two mana. Little to no enchantment removal in set, so should be safe to stay on the creature for the whole game.
Spontaneous Flight – This a great combat trick that can both pump your creature and as a bonus give it flying for the rest of the game.
Capture Sphere – Blue doesn’t have many ways to remove threats from the battlefield, but this is one of them. Great to be able to use it at instant speed as well.
Dreamtail Heron – This is one of the best common mutate creatures in the set. For only four mana you can get a 3/4 Flying creature and draw a card in the process.
Hampering Snare – This is a great combat trick that can allow you to win a large combat war by clearing out multiple creatures at once. If the spell ends up being a dead card in your hand, you can also cycle it if needed.
Blood Curdle – This is simply one of the best removal cards in the set. It doesn’t have tough mana requirements, allowing you to splash it if needed. The fact that it gives one of your creature's menace is a sweet bonus.
Serrated Scorpion – This is a great aggressive creature that can almost guarantee you 2 damage pushing through to your opponent. It’s a cheap creature to mutate onto as well, with a nice ability when it dies.
Unlikely Aid - This combat trick acts can get in extra damage, making sure you don’t die in combat and as a counterspell against removal that you opponent might use. Not bad for two mana at instant speed.
Cloudpiercer – I like this Mutate creature as you can have a 5/4 reach creature for only four mana that allows you to cycle out a card you didn’t want in your hand anyways.
Drannith Stinger – This is the opposite of Drannith Healer that instead pings your opponent each time you cycle a card. Could be a great way to finish off your opponent and add another avenue to get damage through.
Fire Prophecy – A great two-mana damage spell that also allows you to cycle a card from your hand for free. This is much more value than the average two-mana Red removal spell from other sets.
Raking Claws – This great combat trick acts as both a removal spell by adding double strike, but could also add a ton of damage onto an unblocked attacker. If you can’t use the spell right away, you can always cycle it in hopes of something better.
Bristling Boar – This reprint is great since it has an ability that would be great to have on a mutated creature. This reverse-menace type ability could make it hard for your opponent to kill your one large mutated creature.
Essence Symbiote – This is a great common for the mutate decks, as it allows you to make your mutated creatures even larger and gains you some life each time you mutate. It’s also a great creature to mutate onto as well.
Fertilid – Other than some of the lands and tri-colour artifacts available, this will help you fix both your mana and help ramp up to some larger creatures. Great if you can add some additional counters onto as well.
Humble Naturalist – Even though it’s only for creatures, this is one of the best mana fixers in the set and can help you ramp into big creatures and help you with those wedge coloured decks.
Migratory Greathorn – Being able to mutate onto a creature for only three mana is a great way to get a 3/4 upgrade on a smaller creature. It will also allow you to ramp and search for a needed land to help with your deck.
Ram Through – This better than fighting spell, will make sure your creature survives as it won’t take any incoming damage, while any excess damage tramples through to your opponent if your creature happens to have trample.
Springjaw Trap – This is a great colourless removal that can be put into any deck and can be used all in one turn or spread out over two turns if needed.
I hope that this list of common cards can help you navigate the tough deck choices with such a diverse set. Remember that winning a game of Limited starts with picking the best commons. Thanks again for reading the Daily Dose of Ikoria. Join me again tomorrow as I continue Limited week with my look at the best uncommons for Ikoria Limited play.
