The Pride of Hull Clade – Murders at Karlov Manor
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.13
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4.00
Multiplayer: 3.37
Commander [EDH]: 3.75
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
It wouldn’t be a Ravnica set without some kind of insane Simic hybrid creature that pushes the boundaries of combining animals’ features in art, and also combining creature types that have never been on the one card before. This guy seems to be, at least in part, intended to be played alongside Arcades in the Wall kindred deck, though I wouldn’t necessarily rule out him having some kind of niche role in constructed. Reanimator doesn’t seem like a great option, seeing as that archetype has always been aggressive; the only successful target that prevents losing rather than advancing winning was Blazing Archon. There might be some kind of rogue deck that finds a way to make casting him more attainable, and while his draw trigger seems like overkill, I can’t help but note that if you use it on himself, he gets you in position to win with Laboratory Maniac in around three attacks.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
The “Defender.dec” gameplan has always been a bit of a fan favorite, turning around a lot of conventions to beat people down with big bottoms. The Pride of Hull Clade fits well into this, despite being a Crocodile Elk Turtle; it has an extremely large toughness, and it also rewards it explicitly. And, yes, this means that The Pride of Hull Clade can draw you fifteen cards if it lands a blow on an opponent after you pop its ability. This pairs nicely with trample as well, since the draw trigger is not conditional on how much damage is done.
The tricky part here is getting it online. Eleven mana is a lot, though the deck this will want to be in might be able to make it affordable enough; three or four mana is a good starting point. Unfortunately, there’s no cost reduction baked in for its ability, and that’s the mana-heavy part of the card. One proc might be enough, but there is a bit of peril in needing to commit if you plan to use a defender creature to get it off.
That said, keep in mind that you don’t need to grant the buff to a defender creature; a potent attacker on its own will do the job, and The Pride of Hull Clade can crack a game open quickly. I do think it’s a tricky card to really evaluate; it’s powerful, but it is very mana-hungry to really work, and while it will live most combats, its low power is going to make breaking boards on its own tedious.
Constructed: 3.25 (I’m not sold, but I could see this working)
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4 (hard to kill, and breaks a game open with one successful hit; the challenge might be getting it out, though)
Multiplayer: 3.25
Commander [EDH]: 4 (probably better in the 99, since decks with ample backsides really want to have a foot in white)
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