CardName – Wilds of Eldraine
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.63
Casual: 4.00
Limited: 3.50
Multiplayer: 3.63
Commander [EDH]: 3.50
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Wake me up inside; call my name and save me from the dark . . .
One of the storyline features of Wilds of Eldraine is the Wicked Slumber – a realm-wide enchantment that was used as a weapon against Phyrexia – so it makes sense that cards associated with nightmares would show up this time around. As such cards go, this is actually a strong one. You might recognize the creature side’s cost and game text as a riff on Innistrad‘s Boneyard Wurm, but counting all graveyards is quite an upgrade. That makes it become more threatening as you attack your opponent’s creatures, more threatening as combat takes its normal toll, and more threatening as a six-drop in multiplayer and Commander. And, yes, more threatening as you cast the adventure side and other similar cards. Can’t Wake Up would probably not ever really be considered if it were a card on its own, but since it’s not, it adds a nice bonus and a welcome self-enabling option (albeit a slightly inconsistent one).
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
Adventures are back, but with a twist this time in being able to be an off-color adventure half. As a reminder, adventures can be cast as their sorcery/instant half and then cast from exile as their other half, usually a creature (though sometimes an enchantment or other permanent).
Cruel Somnophage is a pretty straightforward application: adventure to set up, then a body to take advantage. While two mana to mill four cards is quite inefficient, and it’s certainly not ideal, casting a Cruel Somnophage into an empty graveyard is not ideal. But two mana for a creature that scales off of all graveyards can be quite a nice deal, and while it has no keywords, Tarmogoyf taught us years ago that a creature that is large at a very cheap rate can sometimes be enough, and this can work well to pay off either self-mill or opponent mill. This being only two mana makes me think it’ll see play, but I feel like it’s not going to be the centerpiece of a deck…more of a “plan B” or supportive piece.
Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 4
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 3.5 (would be better if it was Golgari, but it still has value in Dimir decks and wider color shells)
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