Hello and welcome back! The Hobbit has been out in full release for a minute, and there are a number of new awesome legends and typal support that fills the ranks of the set. Honestly, there are so many good legends it’s going to be hard to compare them to some of the other cards that don’t carry that type in line. That’s what we’re going to try and do anyway as I go through and pick what ten cards are the best non-legendary cards from the set that you might want to add to your own brews.
GLEAMING SPLENDOR
Okay, so the obvious one out of the way first. Gleaming Splendor has been the hot card during spoiler season and after release, and is the most expensive card in the (main) set at time of writing. It’s easy to see the parallels to Smothering Tithe, though the cards aren’t that similar.
It gives treasure whenever and opponent draws their second card each turn. So, that means that you, pushing the card to its limit, get 9 treasure before your next time assuming and using ways to help your opponents draw up to a second card on each turn that isn’t yours. Of course that’s a high bar and your opponents would be flush with cards, so maybe don’t indulge in that much greed. If they do it themselves however that’s a different story.
The card also allows you to pay to have two players draw a card. That can include you as well, or two opponents. The floor using the ability nets you one treasure, so in a vacuum the card refunds a mana for the card draw.
So, the floor and the ceiling are quite divergent but arguably good all through the spectrum of usability here. Right now the card is making waves for being good. Specifically I’ve heard in cEDH, but for the casual side I write about I while I do think the card is very good your mileage here will vary. Don’t expect nine treasures back per turn without abuse, but do expect a treasure or two every turn around the table, which is often enough.
Somewhat ironically and ha-ha funny, this Smothering Tithe and another card combo to infinitely mill decks. Mono-white mill deck when? Now apparently.
INSIDE INFORMATION
Another card that got some traction on the interwebs for a hot minute was Inside Information. It can steal a bunch of spells from an opponents deck and allow you to cast them that turn, and you don’t even need mana to do it because it allows you to use your life total instead to cast the spells by paying that much life.
This could be dangerous, and you have to pick the right deck to get spells from, but the upside is worth it even without some way to compensate on the life. If you can get life from casting spells and such, then this becomes almost free value besides the initial casting cost.
SUPPER FOR SPIDERS
Like another card on this list, this card aims to get value from the destruction of the field. It brings back all the things that died from opponents’ board under your control but they become food. A nice cache of potential life gain there, but the better part (outside of food focused decks) is that the override to make them food doesn’t change much. You will get ALL the enters and dies triggers from these when they come into play or you eat them. The card can be quite versatile that way and I think, despite not outright threatening a game winning amount of damage through combat, has a huge upside in the right moment to put your opponents into a sticky situation.
BILBO’S GAMBIT
The way White keeps getting counter magic that is less “no” and “not right now” to backhand cards away is kind of hilarious to me. It sends stuff into time out and that’s so part of the White color identity now that it makes perfect sense.
This card at least has the option to give a reparation to the affected player, though they have to wait to use that treasure to recast that spell until the next turn along with everyone else. Still, it’s a good monkey wrench to save the table and let everyone find a solution to your shared problem.
HEAD OF THE HUNT
Usually, the person doing the mass removal gets the bonus for doing it if they set it up right. This is still true here with Head of the Hunt, but you can also use it against an opponent doing the same thing and wrecking their day. It can be played at instant speed and if you’re the non active player, its effect will resolve before theirs if they cast the same kind of effect.
It IS kind of a Meta call, but I think overall this card is good and should go in more the a few decks.
THE EAGLES ARE COMING!
I mentioned this card in a prior article about the top ten when the set wasn’t completely spoiled yet, and it remains in my top picks. Similar in function to Avatar’s Wrath, this card is there to save your board state from obliteration when needed. Unlike Avatar’s Wrath, it doesn’t affect your opponents, but instead delivers an army of flyers on the next upkeep, which can single handedly win you a game if the board was just wiped, not to mention the timing lets the birds also dodge said wipe.
It also remains one of my favorite cards to pick up from the set, though that list has grown some (hence we are here, in this article).
WIZARD’S STAFF
Like the free stuff and the double dose of doom? We here have a staff that’s just right for you!
The card is simple and powerful, even if it only gets one extra trigger off and buffs one creature. Super good if you are focused on a single creature-based piece on board for value, like your commander with a triggered ability. I am kinda sad it wasn’t a Magecraft ability that worked like prowess, but that might have been too much for the card at this mana value. Flavor would have been cool though.
CELEBRATE THE MOUNTAIN-KING
Alright, I’ll admit four mana is a tad high, BUT I’ve come around to the idea, especially if you’re playing control in Commander, that you need to be able to 2 for 1 or better to really have a chance of keeping up in this day of value and speed. Again, four mana is a bunch that kind of goes against the speed part, but it also hits one thing for each opponent. Better, if you want to make a deal, it’s really up to one per opponent which can help even some odds on the table.
You also get some card selection and possible token when this comes into play, so it is a net positive all around.
ELVEN RAFT-STEERER
I mentioned this elf in my prior article about the new typal support we have from the set, and I’m going to mention them again. It’s almost like Retreat to Coralhelm though you lose the Scry. While the Scry was useful, most players are going to eventually use the ability on Retreat to combo off with something else, and the elf here does that same thing.
Plus, they’re an elf. I wonder what we could untap with elves.
CONFUSTICATE AND BEBOTHER
A good counter spell here with the addition of being useless and just drawing you some cards instead to find another kind of answer.
Yes it’s not a counter spell that will definitely defeat something on the stack, but four mana is a lot to pay and can screw up someone’s turn in short order if they really need that spell to go off. If for some reason the player you want to counter their spell has infinite mana, send a hail mary and draw some cards for an answer at instant speed. Flexibility is king (or queen).
HONORABLE MENTION: TROOP OF PONIES
You need some lands to help cast your spells? Don’t we all. These here ponies will deliver on that promise with their best and cultivated way to get you to those lands of plenty, and are easily recurable in most decks that can bring them back to pasture.
While a tad slow, having these as a nice little way to mana fix you and trigger things like landfall or death triggers might just find them a home in a deck that needs some extra fixing. I rather like when we can get some kind of generic ramp because Green doesn’t need to help but the other colors, while having their own ways to do it, still do sometimes.
SPLENDID HORDES
There are of course a lot of great legendaries to consider from the set as well, with Dwarves and Goblins in particular getting some great extra support (and elves but elves don’t need support). Don’t forget to check those out, and let me know if I missed any non-legendary card you think might crack a dragon’s scale.
Until next time, what do I have in my deck box?
