Core 2019 Set Review - Red

Are you a bit down on this heat? Well maybe this article isn't for you as things are about to get a whole lot hotter. It's time for all of the red cards from Core 2019! Go grab a nice cold drink, sit back, relax and lets dive right in.

Act of Treason

I like Act of Treason in limited because it gives you a surprise factor. You can put pressure on your opponent to the point that they have to deploy some blockers and then use Act of Treason to blow them out of the water by stealing their biggest or best blocker. Multiples are awkward in those times that the board is empty, at which point they are dead cards.

Alpine Moon

This doesn’t feel like a red card to me, maybe I’m missing something but manipulation of lands feels blue or green at most. Either way, Alpine Moon allows you to shut off one specific non-basic land that can cause you trouble: name Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin and your opponent’s card advantage engine has been stemmed and they have a utopia instead. For one mana this enchantment is fine but it will sit in sideboards indefinitely and that’s only if red decks really need to stop certain lands. Honestly though I think this was printed for modern play as it can hit Inkmoth Nexus and Celestial Colonnade, both of which are annoyingly powerful lands.

 Apex of Power

What a splashy card. For ten mana you get access to the top seven cards of your library and the ability to cast them, along with that is Apex of Power was cast from your hand you net ten mana of any one colour back. Effectively Apex of Power is a free spell if you cast it from your hand but the spells it exiles have to be paid for, nicely enough though Apex lets you look at the exiled cards before you choose what colour you want, because you do only get ten mana of one colour. This feels like a combo card to me but I don’t know what combo deck it works in, you can’t cheat it into play and revealing anther Apex of Power is actually pretty bad as chaining them together gives you nothing. I would love to see this work in constructed but I fear it’s going to be resigned to the casual tables or maybe Commander. Lastly, Apex of Power depicts Nicol Bolas reigning over Amonkhet and therefore gives you imagery to go along with the story.

Banefire

This could well be one of my favourite cards of all time. There is a part of me that understands Banefire could be a bit overpowered but you get nowhere without pushing the envelope now and again, and as far as Control deck finishers go Banefire is pushed. Fireballs are always good to play and when one has a clause like this one it’s a no brainer, you even splash it in your limited deck because it’s so good. In constructed Banefire sits in a lot of decks nicely: the aforementioned control deck finisher position, midrange decks use it as an early game efficient removal spell and a finisher and Aggro decks use it whenever for whatever. Beware of Banefire coming out of no where to finish you off, it’s one of those cards that should always be in the back of your mind.

Boggart Brute

Decent early to mid game creature that makes combat slightly more awkward for your opponent. Easy to splash and will do its job in limited.

Catalyst Elemental

When I saw this my mind immediately went to some sort of weird combo that involved making Catalyst Elemental cheaper and recurring it. Upon further research I don’t think that’s a possibility. With this revelation I’m now not quite sure where Catalyst Elemental goes, maybe it’s just a mana fixer and I’m looking to deep into it. It is easy to splash and provides double the red it requires to cast and it can help you get to the late game in limited quicker than normal. Just as a three mana 2/2 it’s serviceable, you might not be happy if Catalyst Elemental was your best three drop but it’s perfectly limited playable.

Crash Through

Force some damage through in limited while trading off some creatures with this one mana spell and the best part is Crash Through replaces itself. At worst it’s a one mana draw a card which isn’t exactly what you want to be doing but it will suffice in times of need.

Dark-Dweller Oracle

With a creature like this in its camp I am certain Goblins will be a viable standard deck in the months to come. Dark-Dweller Oracle is a two mana 2/2, nothing to turn your nose up at but this bear comes with upside funnily enough. For the price of one mana and a creature you get some extra card advantage off the top of your deck, it’s like that one Chandra ability but it makes you work a bit harder for it. This is a limited all star and like I said, goblins are almost certainly going to be a deck and with a creature like this it’s going to be a hard one to beat thanks to the consistency Dark-Dweller Oracle provides.

Demanding Dragon

This is a pretty straight forward bomb creature. Five mana, 5 power, evasion  with a five point burn spell or removal spell attached. In limited Demanding Dragon is a no brainer, it sits near your top end waiting it’s turn to make an entrance, and it always will. Your opponent has to decide between taking 5 damage straight up or losing their worst creature and they would always choose the latter, unless you can put them in a position where they can’t with additional removal spells or mana acceleration. I could see Demanding Dragon making it’s way into constructed in sideboards against slower decks with less creatures so you can utilise the removal part of the effect but it is rather costly even then, it’s also fighting for that spot with Glorybringer and Siege-Gang Commander so I don’t know.

Dismissive Pyromancer

A cheap, early drop creature with card filtering and removal attached, what more do you want? Great in limited but it could be a bit slow and fragile for constructed when you still have Bomat Courier to compare it to.

Doublecast

I love this type of card for casual or Commander type formats but I wouldn’t put this anywhere near my limited deck and certainly not my constructed deck. It’s set up that can easily be disrupted in some form and I’m not for that.

Dragon Egg

Your favourite chump blocker is back. From the moment you drop this you are eagerly waiting to throw it in front of a creature and have it die so you can get the maximum value out of your Dragon Egg. Three mana for two creatures is a good ratio, especially when the second comes with both evasion and Firebreathing, that little 2/2 token could gain a lot of board advantage in the early game in limited.

Electrify

Four mana for 4 damage, it can only be sent at creatures but that’s not awful. Electrify is easy to splash in those three colour limited decks so if needs be this could be one of your few removal spells without much commitment.

Fiery Finish

This six mana removal spell will almost certainly take out any creature. One on your top end in limited is about as many as you could justify, the power level is up there but the cost is also up there and I think the latter wins out.

Fire Elemental

Decent creature for the late game in limited. Nothing special but it does the job.

Goblin Instigator

This is one half of Mogg War Marshal, a creature from all the way back in Time Spiral. Two mana for 2 power is on curve but when it’s split over two bodies it’s much better, one reason for that is Siege-Gang Commander as you now have two possible activations. Great in limited Goblin Instigator gives you multiple bodies to work with and if Goblins becomes a deck in standard then I can see this  being on the two drop part of that curve.

Goblin Motivator

Want to get off to a fast start in limited? Drop Goblin Motivator on turn one and hit creature drops on curve, give them all Haste and keep attacking. It’s just that easy.

Goblin Trashmaster

We’ve had Goblin Warchief as the three mana Goblin lord and now we have a four mana Goblin lord. However, this lord gives you an extra avenue of attack. With Goblin Trashmaster you can get extra value out of your goblins, taking out artifacts in limited can be very useful and imagine being able to shoot down a Torrential Gearhulk in standard. That’s probably a pipe dream but it’s still cool to think about, honesty though I don’t see Goblin Trashmaster making it’s way into constructed mainly because of its four mana casting cost. The effects are there but the cost is a little high, maybe with Goblin Warchief it becomes a bit more attainable and I will be trying Trashmaster in standard Goblins but I’m not holding out that it’ll will be amazing.

Guttersnipe

This may be my favourite card of the set. I love everything about Guttersnipe: it’s relatively cheap and easy to splash, it’s a 2/2 so it doesn’t just die to Goblin Chainwhirler, it rewards a bit more of a reactive deck and it’s a goblin. I want to try Guttersnipe in a Dynavolt Tower deck, they both sit on the three drop slot but it’s additional direct damage. In a Goblin deck Guttersnipe will do well, just one turns a Lightning Strike into a two mana deal 5 so in multiples spells like that are absurd. Limited all stars Guttersnipe will do a lot of work if you can back it up with enough instants and sorceries.

Havoc Devils

Havoc Devils is a great limited Aggro creature. Four mana for 4 power is brilliant because it can trade up and poses a good sized threat.

Hostile Minotaur

Hostile Minotaur is also a good limited aggro creature, comparing this and Havoc Devils isn’t particularly fair as they fill different spots for different decks but they are both red four drops. If you’re going super fast aggro then the Minotaur is probably better but it’s close, I like both in limited a lot though.

Infernal Hellion

This four drop has been pushed. Four mana for a 7/3 is definitely the correct stats, it’s on the verge of being game winning but it has a reasonable enough amount of toughness that it’s not hard to deal with. The attack or block clause is necessary otherwise it definitely is game winning and it also gives your opponent a difficult choice: if they are on enough life to take it do they? Or do they block and almost certainly lose a creature in the process. Multiple Inferno Hellions would be incredibly power in limited so I’m not unhappy with this card.

Lathliss, Dragon Queen

Lathliss is an absolute limited powerhouse! A six mana 6/6 flyer is enough to be playable, give it firebreathing and the value shoots way up. Now, give it global firebreathing, all of your creatures making 5/5 dragons and if you can protect Lathliss  for even a turn, it’s safe to say you’re probably winning that game. Lathliss is costed out of constructed, it’s much easier to deal with her in constructed anyway with cheap removal and counter magic, but I’d love to see someone try.

Lava Axe

Five mana. Five damage. Lava Axe gives you that reach to finish off an opponent or one of their planeswalkers. It’s expensive but is easy enough to splash, it’s good in limited as a one of but that’s all.

Lightning Mare

It’s cheap, uncounterable and aggressive. Sure Lightning Mare is a bit fragile but it packs a punch even without the firebreathing ability, unblockable for blue creatures isn’t nothing but it’s not the best part of this card. Limited player and could even seen constructed play in the right deck.

Lightning Strike

The standard ratio of mana cost to damage. Limited great and will see constructed play as it already has.

Onakke Ogre

This ogre will trade up or start taking chunks out of your opponent’s life total quick.

Sarkhan, Fireblood

This is the planeswalker that can give red decks the longevity they need for the late game. It’s cheap and not her to cast in those decks, gives you card filtering, additional mana and, as an ultimate,  gives you immense board position. Sarkhan is fragile if left unprotected as he can’t protect himself but if you can protect him the value is nuts in both limited an constructed.

Sarkhan’s Seal

This is a limited and casual card through and through. Sarkhan’s Unsealing rewards you in the late game for playing bigger creatures and if you can consistently trigger it the value you could gain is immense. 4 to any target with a real top end super Pyroclasm is great in those creature stalls, though it will take some work to get there.

Shock

It’s Shock.

Siegebreaker Giant

A powerful, if a bit fragile, top end limited all star. If you can stick Siegebreaker Giant then the combat step should become a lot easier when you’re paying four mana to crack in for at least 6 each turn. Over-costed for constructed but it does its job really well in limited.

Smelt

Smelt is the new Shatter, it’s cheaper but does the same thing. If artifacts become really big I can see Smelt making it’s way into sideboards as a great removal spell, in limited it’s a bit...well, limited but it has its uses.

Sparktongue Dragon

I’m underwhelmed. A five mana 3/3 dragon isn’t up to the standard for me but at least it comes with built in removal, for an extra three mana. So what we have here is an eight mana 3/3 with a Lightning Bolt attached. Fine in limited, terrible everywhere else.

Spit Flame

If dragons become a deck Sparktongue Dragon won’t see play but Spit Flame will. 4 damage for three mana is good, even if it’s restricted to creatures, but the ability to rebuy Spit Flame could prove too much for your opponent when you’re gunning all of their creatures down. In limited it’s probably going to act as a one shot but even having one dragon in your deck ups the value a lot.

Sure Strike

Brilliant combat trick that in multiples can clean up a combat zone. Splashable too.

Tectonic Rift

I don’t like land destruction period. The added effect of “creatures your opponent control can’t block” isn’t enough to make me want to play it either. If you really need to deal with a particular land then sure but I can’t see that happening much.

Thud

Decent removal spell but you are going a bit all in by sacrificing a creature if your opponent has a counter spell or a way to utilise the dying creature. Thud is cheap so I guess that’s a good upside but you need a big enough creature to go with it, I might play one but it would be cagey when playing it.

Tormenting Voice

Card filtering. You’re exchanging two cards for two new cards, pretty good rate but this isn’t the type of spell you want to play in desperation because it will backfire.

Trumpet Blast

This is a fine combat trick to help you trade or push yourself over the line. One is fine.

Viashino Pyromancer

This is a great early drop creature as a two mana 2/2 or a good late and creature to keep the pressure up. Sometimes 2 damage is all you need and this guys gives it to you in a nice efficient little package. Probably confined to limited but I would like to try Viashino Pyromancer in constructed, could have some nice applications.

Volcanic Dragon

Volcanic Dragon is a good old limited bomb. It sits at the top of your curve and swoops in to help seal out a game when you need it. Having one in limited really pushes you towards red and if you have two then you’re playing red.

Volley Veteran

The body here isn’t bad, if a bit fragile, but the effect can be put to good use if you are Goblin centric enough. It involves a lot of work and could see constructed play if Goblins are powerful enough.

It's time to cool off after all of those red cards. You've got a little bit of time to catch your breath before tomorrows look at all the green cards, while you're doing that why don't you check us out on twitter at @gcgamingtank and let us know what you think of Core 2019.

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Happy gaming guys!