In the moments before Amonkhet's release, it's time to look back on what has come before like old-timers, and to exaggerate the usefulness of cards that we wish we had gotten more play out of. Unlike the "Best of..." series, think of this thread as more of a "Also Rans" for cards that were full of unfulfilled promise.

What cards do you love, despite their relative uselessness? Are there any cards you wish you could have played more, but found, every time you did, they just didn't quite work?

Sage of Ancient Lore. Never could find a home for gramps.

If you can find a home for Kefnet you could surely find a home for the old man too.

For me it's Eldritch Evolution, this card is screaming to be broken but I just can't find a real reason to use it. I did play against someone who used it to get an Electrostatic Pummeler while he had a haste equipment on the board and I was tapped. He hit me for 32, I did not see that coming. XD

EE can act as a 2nd and 3rd Rhonas in AKH. I think it's worth sacrificing a 1-drop to a God.

I tried making a Jorubai Murk Lurker / Tainted Remedy combo deck that I wished it would've worked out better

I have Eldritch Evolution in elves, usually use it to find the BG elf that drains to win the game.

Kothophed, Soul Hoarder

Strong body, flier, very excellent ability in a removal based deck.

But he doesn't do much the turn he comes down and he has no protection, so he is rarely worth it.

I remember running him in Origins season and I believe he won me the game about 1 in 10 times that I used him which isn't very good. I also ran that Priest of the Blood Rite cleric guy who makes a beefy flyer token, same problem.

I would argue that using the Priest of the Blood Rite in Origins might have been a mistake, but after Eldritch Moon, he becomes quite useful.

Initially, he's a pain in the ass 2/2 on the ground, but with emerge and Eldritch Evolution, he's a disposable 5cmc stooge! In a mono-black, he works well with Distended Mindbender. Adding in revolt, he has another tick in the pro column.

Jeez, how were so ineffective with him in Origins? Kothophed was a f'ing HOUSE in Origins, when removal cost 5. Him + Disciple were the anchors of my Grixis Control deck.

I didn't have all the cards unlocked for most of the season so the rest of my deck was a janky mess.

I swear I've seen Kothrophed kill his controller more times then the opponent, it seems everytime he comes down the other player just drains them to death haha

Jorubai Murk Lurker Bay-Bay

Kothoped was so bad in Origins. Murklurker was gas though; all you had to do was dodge Reave Soul and you were golden.

I am surprised that ramp died a death it seems. It was rife in acid moss days and the big Eldrazi payoffs. I think the aggro nature of Duels and vehicles pegged it back. There is support though in AKH so we will see. So Eldrazi for me. Probably Oblivion Sower but then I did not use the builds that work well with Eldrazi anyway.

Oof, long list. Let's get started.

-Zombie cards (Cryptbreaker, Gisa and Geralf, Compelling Deterrence). We do have some hope they'll become usable with AKH though

-Wharf Infiltrator. Kaladesh killed the Eldritch Moon star (he never was, but come on; Copter the expansion after him?)

-Akoum Firebird. Problems with relocating attacks to planeswalkers make him unplayable - too bad!

-Shaman of the Pack. Why does Elves tribal suck so hard

-Priest of the Blood Rite. Sac the Priest, keep the Demon, recur the Priest from the yard.




Ramp died not only because they took out Acid-Moss (though it was a big reason). Ramp died because decks suddenly had efficient answers to Ulamog. As in: The best answers to Ulamog pre-SOI were Blessed Alliance (only worked because of a bug that cancelled the mill trigger), Suppression Bonds (Reclamation Sage says hi), Angelic Edict (which you were unable to cast because Ulamog had just blown up your manabase) or your own Ulamog (The best answer; now your opponent had to deal with this monster and his best answer was exiled).

Can you believe the forum going completely nuts over Oblivion Strike getting spoiled? Yeah.

I thought they fixed the Firebird bug.

That would be news to me; partly because the bug lies deeper in the interface ("attacks each turn if able"/"enter attacking"). I'd be happy if it were true, though.

I've been playing the firebird and it hasn't caused any problems recently that I can remember. Great card against control.

For me it's Ghirapur Aether Grid. I just can't shake the desire to make the grid good, but...

Also want to use Embermaw Hellion... I think it's day will come soon!

One card that had its day and I miss is Stormchaser mage.

Finally, Pyromancer's Assault is another card that nobody likes, but I like and try now and then to put in decks. I guess 2 damage just isn't what it used to be...

Maybe I should throw all of those cards into the same deck and call it my own personal pile of jank.

Embermaw Hellion and Pyromancer's Assault sound like they would work so well together, maybe in an Izzet Burn deck with tonnes of clues to activate your Aether Grid.

It all sounds like it should work.

Priest of the Blood Rite was good in Origins in a deck with Bone Splinters and since every one used Splinters in Myr decks, why would the priest be a mistake? Will definitely be revisiting those two cards when we start brewing MBC after AKH comes out.