Previous Reviews: FIRE | TIME | JUSTICE | PRIMAL | SHADOW | PRAXIS & HOORU | ARGENTPORT & SKYCRAG | Xenan & Factionless

I will be grading each card in the new Omens of the Past expansion for both ranked and draft play. I am going with a A+ to F grading scale this time out. A breakdown of the grading scale is as follows.

GRADES

A’s: Straight bombs or very efficient cards, the best cards in the set.

B’s: Strong playables. Cards that push you into a given faction in draft.

C’s: Role players and cards you rarely cut from your deck in draft.

D’s: Narrow cards that usually don’t make the cut.

F’s: It would be a mistake to add this to your deck.

NEW MECHANICS

Spark: Cards with Spark have an additional effect when played after the enemy player has taken damage this turn.

Warp: You can see cards with Warp when they are on top of your deck, and you can play them as if they were in your hand.



Firemane Cub

Ranked: D+

Draft: D-

This has interesting ranked implications in the right environment as a solid answer to the various 1 health cheap units populating the environment. Of course, the body is pretty low impact, but there is enough here to consider playing it alongside something like Xenan Obelisk or other ways to buff it. In draft, there are less relevant 1 health units so it is a little too likely that you won’t have great targets, and the 1/1 body is not relevant enough in draft.



Forge Wolf

Ranked: F

Draft: F

This was around in the closed beta and was not playable at that time, nor now.



Hidden Shiv

Ranked: F

Draft: F

I think this is just too low impact to take up a slot in your deck in either format.



On the Hunt

Ranked: C+

Draft: D+

This is a very hard card to evaluate, it looks like a self-inflicted 2 for 1 in order to get a 2 cost 4/4 charge. This is not a deal I want to enter into in draft normally, but it is intriguing for hyper aggressive ranked decks.



Pummel

Ranked: D

Draft: C

This is a fine trick in draft that gives you some card selection. You can’t play too many of this type of effect, but the first trick is pretty strong as long as you have at least 17 units. In ranked this looks too low impact to make the cut, but perhaps in a mono fire aggressive deck it is possible.



Young Gun

Ranked: F

Draft: D-

I like the flavor, but this kid needs to grow up in order to make an impact. I would only play this in draft with lots of ways to buff him up and even then, it would be one of my last units to add.



Blinkwolf

Ranked: D-

Draft: C

Probably not enough impact for ranked, but this is a fine two drop for draft. The upside of warping it is quite nice and the 2/1 body actually trades for relevant draft units.



Smith’s Hammer

Ranked: F

Draft: D

I am not excited about weapons that only buff attack as they often won’t let you make profitable attacks unless you already have profitable attacks. This probably pairs best with Primal on flying units.



Granite Ring

Ranked: D

Draft: C-

Probably too slow for ranked, but the effect is powerful in a swarm deck. In draft this is also a little sketchy, but in a deck with lots of units I’d consider it.



Grenade

Ranked: D

Draft: C

There are plenty of decks in ranked that have disposable units to throw with Grenade, but the cost to damage rate is probably too weak to make an impact. If you have enough value cheap units, this is playable in draft.



Hipshot

Ranked: D

Draft: C+

Unless there are an abundance of 1 or 2 health units that are highly valuable targets, this won’t make the cut in ranked outside of a focused burn deck. In draft there are enough cheap fliers and other units that this is quite good, especially if you can warp it.



Jawbone Hatchet

Ranked: C-

Draft: C

This is embarrassingly bad if you can’t Spark it, but solid if you can. It is comparable to Sword of Icaria on that front, and it is mono fire which allows it to go into more decks. This should kill enough fliers that it’s a fine draft playable.



Sparkbot

Ranked: D

Draft: C-

This is possibly playable in ranked as an answer to the swarm decks that are out there. The problem is that it is not nearly strong enough to be relevant against mid-range or controlling decks. The body is just good enough to be an okay draft playable.



Stonescar Excavator

Ranked: D-

Draft: D-

This is a lot of durdling for just face damage. Perhaps there is some kind of crazy self mill deck in ranked, but it seems like a lot of turns that need to be taken off to make this happen. I think this is just too slow in both formats to matter.



Stoneshaker

Ranked: D-

Draft: F

I am not all that thrilled with ramp in draft as the games can frequently come down to the late game where everyone gets to play all of their cards, in which case having yours be a little cheaper didn’t matter much. 1/1 for 1 is heinously bad, and this costs 3 making it just a very bad card to play. Cost reduction is often a dangerously powerful ability in ranked, but I think the rate on this is weak enough that it won’t get there, though playing two and having all of your strangers be free is intriguing.



Twinbarrel

Ranked: D-

Draft: C-

This plays well with Warcry and other effects that boost weapons stats, but it is also just a fine damage boost on a large unit. You want to be careful not to get blown out by a fast spell, but if you can land a big hit with this, it may be worth the card in the end.



Audacious Bandit

Ranked: F

Draft: C-

This is quite hard to block if you can Spark it in draft, but the rate is too weak for ranked.



Grenadin Cannoneer

Ranked: F

Draft: D-

(Firebomb: Destiny deal 5 damage to yourself) I don’t put much value in Firebombs being added to my opponent’s deck and the rate otherwise is quite bad in both formats. There are just too many cheap value blockers that you aren’t happy to attack with this very often which usually is not where fire wants to be.



Groundbreaker

Ranked: B+

Draft: B-

This is a serious card that threatens lots of damage, quickly. It is cheap enough to make great use of any weapons or other buffs you can place on it. The debuff to health gain can be pretty relevant in ranked, and I like that this wins a straight up fight with a Sandstorm Titan if Sparked. Pairs best with cheap Primal fliers in draft to help turn on Spark.



Library Phoenix

Ranked: C-

Draft: B

It is rarely my personal goal to have no cards in hand, but this is a decent reward for doing so in draft and ranked. The most intriguing part of this card in ranked is surely the cost reduction, but unfortunately it has to live a turn for that to pay off. Failing the Torch test limits how good this can be in ranked, but there is enough upside here that I’d still consider it.



Outlands Brute

Ranked: C

Draft: C

This is a pretty annoying card for control decks to face down, and is particularly good at fighting Relic Weapons. The problem is how weak it is against aggressive or other unit based decks. Thankfully it has Warp to give it a nice boost in value in the matchups where it doesn’t shine. There are too many cheap blockers in draft for this to be too exciting, but it is a fine playable.



Reforge

Ranked: D+

Draft: C+

This is probably too slow for ranked, but I like it in draft if you have enough weapons to get back. Quite strong with cheap relic weapons in particular.



Swift Stranger

Ranked: D+

Draft: C

I don’t think Strangers are going to be a thing in serious ranked play, but if they are this could be a thing. The body is just fine for draft.



Thunderhoof Warrior

Ranked: F

Draft: B-

I love this cycle in draft across the board, and this is no exception. Being a fine card with a very relevant ultimate ability makes this a card you can get excited about in draft. The downside here is that you can’t play TOO many four drops, but the first few of these will be solid. There will be better options in ranked.



Dustblind

Ranked: F

Draft: F

On the off chance that you warp this, it still isn’t that great in draft most of the time. Stay away.



Gun Down

Ranked: F

Draft: C+

A fine removal spell for draft that will take out many threats, but the cost keeps it out of the B range. Far too slow for ranked play.



Pit Fighter

Ranked: F

Draft: C

Not exciting, but a decent curve topper for a draft deck. Oddly can be more relevant as a blocker against large Time units than as an attacker that will often have to trade down.



Pouncing Drake:

Ranked: D

Draft: B+

I am pouncing all over this in draft as a 4/4 flier can win games on its own, and the upside to warp it is fantastic. This probably won’t get it done in ranked, but with warp I am not ruling it out entirely.



Stonepowder Heretic

Ranked: F

Draft: C+

I love the art on this one, but I think it’s too slow for ranked and a decent playable in draft. There is definite combo potential here for draft and this pairs very nicely with any weapons or buffs.



Bad News

Ranked: C-

Draft: C-

I think this will be hard enough to set up in draft that I am not super thrilled with it. This could be a finisher in a ranked deck, but the price tag is steep. At least you can free roll the card with Warp!



Cannonbearer

Ranked: F

Draft: C

Too low impact for ranked, but I like this as a curve topper in draft. You just don’t want too many six drops, but the first one is fine.



Flamestoker

Ranked: B

Draft: B+

This seems hard to beat once it’s on the table. The problem being that you take the turn off to do so. Still I kind of like this a control finisher, as well as a card that is a nightmare for other control decks.



Burning Glaive

Ranked: F

Draft: C-

This is a high impact weapon for draft, but not a high draft pick as you can only play so many 7 drops. Far too expensive for ranked.



Sindok, Rage Incarnate

Ranked: A

Draft: A

There will be some absolutely busted turns with this card in both formats. In a normal case scenario, this is quite playable on turn 5, which is exciting. The body is a definite game winner in draft, and I would be slam first picking this.

Thanks for reading, and come back soon for the Time cards next!

-Ben Chapman

@bchap55

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