Welcome all to the Daily Dose of War of the Spark where prerelease week continues! Today I’ll be talking about those 3 cards you see just before the rare in your booster pack, well almost. That’s right, the uncommons. In War of the Spark it will be a little bit different though thanks to their being one planeswalker in every booster pack. Since you get 1 planeswalker in every booster pack, and planeswalkers come in 3 rarities now (mythic, rare, uncommon), one of your uncommon slots could be taken by an uncommon planeswalker. Although planeswalkers are strong, I’m not going to be jamming every planeswalker I open into my deck. For the purpose of this list, I’ll leave the planeswalkers out and focus on the non-planeswalker uncommons you want to be looking for in your packs. Come back on Friday for a breakdown and rankings of all 36 planeswalkers in War of the Spark. Let’s have a look at some of the best non-planeswalker uncommons you want to be putting into your prerelease 40-card deck.
Gideon’s Triumph – The great part about this removal spell is that it can be used during combat or after it. Depending how the combat is working out, it can be saved for the right time.
Grateful Apparition – This is a great creature with evasion that will allow you to proliferate often. It’s time to start adding +1/+1 counters to creatures!
Prison Realm – This Oblivion Ring that only targets creatures and planeswalkers does come with a bonus of being able to Scry 1. With little to no enchantment removal in the set, this is as close to straight removal as you are going to get.
Sunblade Angel – This Angel has all the important keywords to help you provide a 6-point life swing every time you attack.
Flux Channeler – Like Grateful Apparition, this gets a repeatable trigger of proliferate. All you need is something on the battlefield to take advantage of those triggers and you are set.
Lazotep Plating - This spell acts as a counterspell and a 1/1 creature for only two mana. Great to stop removal or direct damage that's coming your way.
Rescuer Sphinx – This 4/3 flying creature gives you a potential bonus of being able to recast another permanent if that permanent can provide you some value when it enters the battlefield.
Bleeding Edge – This is another one of those 2 spells in one that I’ve been loving throughout the set. You get a removal spell and either a 2/2 creature or two +2/+2 counters. Either way you should be happy!
Dreadmalkin – Great sacrifice outlet for those uncommon planeswalkers that have outlived their welcome. Once you hit 3/3 Menace with one sacrifice, you should be able to get through for some good damage in no time.
Eternal Taskmaster – This creature has great stats at 2/3 for a two-mana creature. The main value of the card comes if you can return a creature from your graveyard each turn by spending three mana. Will be worthwhile sometimes even if you must sacrifice it for the cause.
Liliana’s Triumph – Great removal spell early on to clear out their only creature. Can become harder to use later in the game, but if you play around it and trade during combat, it might gain more value.
Bolt Bend – There is nothing more satisfying than using your opponents’ spells and abilities against them. Even at four mana, there will always be a point where they will try and use a key combat trick or removal spell to turn the tide of the game.
Chandra’s Triumph – Three damage at instant speed to either a creature or planeswalker will be able to take care of most targets. At two mana you really can’t go wrong!
Challenger Troll – Large ground creatures are often the route to victory in Limited. They often need to be double blocked to try and kill them, but you won’t be able to do that thanks to Challenger Troll’s ability.
Evolution Sage – We have come to our third creature that is able to provide multiple triggers of proliferate over the course of a game. A great use for those pesky late game lands you don’t want to draw.
Mowu, Loyal Companion – This creature has great stats to begin with and is just fine as a 3/3 trample, vigilance creature for four mana. If you can start adding +1/+1 counters on it though, it will start growing quickly.
Paradise Druid – A great creature to help fix your mana if you are splashing some cards from other colors. They won’t be able to remove it without you at least being able to use it once for mana.
Angrath’s Rampage – A much better version of Liliana’s Triumph that can hit multiple different targets based on what you are looking to remove.
Cruel Celebrant – This will be great way to incrementally gain some life and deal some damage to your opponent. It even throws in planeswalkers dying as well for a bonus.
Deathsprout – Value upon value for this card. You get straight creature removal as well as thinning out your deck by search for a basic land and putting it directly onto the battlefield. This could have been a sorcery, but it is even better at instant speed.
Despark – Cheap removal that will be able to take care of the threat you are most worried about. It’s like the Disdainful Stroke of removal. Exiling and being able to target any permanent are two of the aspects which make this spell great.
Dovin’s Veto – This counterspell gains slightly more value in this set as there are less creatures in general thanks to the large number of planeswalkers in the set. It is a bit color restrictive, but if you can make it work, it’s a must have in your deck.
Elite Guardmage – Flying creature, check! Card advantage, check! Life gain, check! If you hit the trifecta of value, you are all set with this creature.
Leyline Prowler – Anytime you can have a deathtouch creature with more than 1 power, it makes it harder for your opponent to double block it. If you don’t feel like attacking you can use to help ramp and fix your mana.
Merfolk Skydiver – Having a 2/2 Flying creature early on will allow you to get in some quick early damage. Later in the game you have a mana sink for all your unused mana to make your creatures and planeswalkers better thanks to its proliferate ability.
Ral’s Outburst – This is almost an Electrolyze type card except that you can’t split up the damage. You also get a little extra advantage by looking at your top two cards to choose the best one.
Tyrant’s Scorn – Smother or Unsummon all built in to one. Not too many bounce spells in the set so this is quality removal whichever way you choose to go with it.
Interplanar Beacon – Most players will want to be playing all the planeswalkers they open, and this land will help you achieve that. Just one of these land means you will able to cast almost any planeswalker no matter what colors you are playing.
That’s quite a powerful list of uncommons to have at your disposal for prerelease. This set has a high-power level and I’m looking forward to how it all turns out! Thanks again for joining me on the Daily Dose of War of the Spark. Join me again tomorrow as I release my combat tricks and removal guide for War of the Spark. This is a must know list of what to expect so you don’t get surprised by your opponent at your local prerelease.
