(ham) Good morning, ladies and gents! Welcome to Jund! I’ve got to say that after weeks of deck building around the Shards of Alara, I found Jund to be my favorite one. Though flavor-wise I liked to lean a bit more towards “cleaner” shards like Bant, I can’t help but recognize the awesome effectiveness of pumping out little creatures only to feed bigger, and badder ones. Join me, hamsandwich, and Tekkactus as we take this train to what I can only describe as- “my own little slice of Hell on Earth”: Jund.

(Tekk) Choo choo! That’s right maggots, I’ve come out of retirement for an article, since Ham here apparently needed my help. What can I say? The guy’s got great taste.

Banefire XR
Sorcery
Banefire deals X damage to target creature or player.
If X is 5 or more, Banefire can't be countered by spells or abilities and the damage can't be prevented.

(Tekk) Grade: A-
Banefire has a lot going for it. One of the most solid X damage burn spells to come out in recent years, and with kick-thorax art, it’s all around a great card. The only thing that keeps it from a perfect score is that it lacks the oomph that its cycle buddies Apocalypse Hydra and Martial Coup have.

(ham) Grade: A-
I have to agree in the fact that it is a well designed X spell. This could be a killer in Limited formats. A good start for both the flavor and art of this set.

Bloodhall Ooze R
Creature - Ooze
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a black permanent, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodhall Ooze.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a green permanent, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodhall Ooze.
1/1

(ham) Grade: B
There is nothing the sandwich likes better than +1/+1 counters. I am really loving the opportunity to push my Simic decks to new heights. Red is the only color I have yet to dabble with. The art lacks. It does not resemble the power to which this card can be abused. For that I drop it a full letter grade.

(Tekk) Grade: B+
This seems like one of those cards that look better on paper than in practice. If you drop this turn one, then it’ll be at best (assuming you played him off a dual-land and dropped a B/G permanent turn 2) then you’ll still only have a 3/3 by turn 3. Wild Nacatl does the same thing, but a turn earlier at common. Keep in mind that this is also a best-case scenario and will often be doing even less than this. It’s a solid card (it KEEPS growing, which is something its kitty cousin can’t boast), but it’s not as good as first appearances dictate.

Bone Saw 0
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+0.
Equip 1 (1: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

(Tekk) Grade: D
Bone Saw is a worthless filler common. Its only saving grace is its name, and even that was a big disappointment. I’m sure a lot of people thought a card named Bone Saw would be brutal. Also, it appears that Cashew is no Vorthos. This is obviously a Grixis card. Don’t tell him though, I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

(ham) Grade: C
Agreed as a worthless filler common, but something tells me that zero cost artifacts have some potential in the casual game.

Canyon Minotaur 3R
Creature - Minotaur Warrior
3/3

(ham) Grade: F
The only thing that could have saved this card is the art. It didn't. I wouldn't even run this in Minotaur Tribal.

(Tekk) Grade: G

For “God Awful Why is This in Here?!”. Also, it’s the letter below F. For those devil’s advocates in the audience who are saying “Hill Giant is decent in Limited!”, let me ask you a question. How many Hill Giants do you own? Because I don’t need copies 31-35.

Charnelhoard Wurm 4BRG
Creature - Wurm
Trample
Whenever Charnelhoard Wurm deals damage to an opponent, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
6/6

(Tekk) Grade: A+
I love this card. It’s deceptively good. A black 6/6 Trampler for 7 isn’t terrible on its own, but that ability is where it really shines. With Trample you’re undoubtedly going to connect every time you go into the red, and did you notice there’s no card type restriction? Just imagine Soul’s Fire every turn (you’ve already got a 6 power creature, so why not?) Plus, this is a little trick I learned at the Prerelease, if the Wurm dies but connects in the process (i.e. it trades with a 6/5), it can even return itself. All around great card.

(ham) Grade: A+
Agreed except for the fact that its goodness is at all "deceptive". I love it when the graveyard is viable. This card excels in that department. A casual bomb, but a game changer for Standard.

Corrupted Roots B
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Forest or Plains
Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller loses 2 life.

(ham) Grade: B
I like this card in the casual setting. Land disruption at a cheap cost. I will find four of these and make them extremely useful. The art feels somehwat rehashed, though, as WOTC has been pushing this theme for a while now.

(Tekk) Grade: B+
I want to give this card a higher grade for personal reasons, but I know I shouldn’t. I love Psychic Venom, and I play a whole lot of Star format. For me, this card is great. For the rest of you… well, in MaRo’s words: “It’s just not for you.”

Drag Down 2B
Instant
Domain - Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each basic land type among lands you control.

(Tekk) Grade: B-
Drag Down is an interesting card, in that there’s nothing wrong with it, but at the same time there’s no reason to play it. In Domain decks you have the superior Exotic Curse, and in any other deck you have Sudden Spoiling or Last Gasp. That said, it’s still a very good Limited removal spell.

(ham) Grade: B+
Maybe I'm being difficult here, but I will take instant speed over Aura. Though Exotic Curse has its place, Drag Down is end-of-turn removal. Given the fact that casual tables are going to see an increase in five color decks, I think this card will see some playing time.
(Tekk) When you’re looking at a 6/6 you won’t be worried about Instant speed. I stand by my statement: Curse is better.

Dragonsoul Knight 2R
Creature - Human Knight
First strike
WUBRG: Until end of turn, Dragonsoul Knight becomes a Dragon, gets +5/+3, and gains flying and trample.
2/2

(ham) Grade: A
This is a solid beater for five color decks. Churning out the mana should be small potatoes compared to the damage a 7/5 flying, trampling dragon will do to your opponents face. This is a very solid uncommon.

(Tekk) Grade: B
I agree it’s a great uncommon… for a very small subset of decks. Even though Conflux is really pushing 5-color, it’s still a very small niche. The only reason it’s even viable outside of casual is due to the Vivid/Reflecting Pool engine. Still… 7/5 Flying Trampler turn 5 is admittedly… nice.

Exploding Borders 2RG
Sorcery
Domain - Search your library for a basic land card, put that card into play tapped, then shuffle your library. Exploding Borders deals X damage to target player, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.

(Tekk) Grade: A+
Let me tell you a secret. I love Domain. It was one of my favorite mechanics before the keyword, and it’s one of my favorites now. A card that accelerates me, fixes my mana, and burns for 3-5 damage (because it’s certainly playable in Naya or Jund on its own)? I’ll take eight.

(ham) Grade: B
I don't have the same feelings for Domain. Though I will definitely be playing around with it now, I am a newer player than Tekk and to me Domain is one of those mechanics I wished I understood but didn't. I love land themed decks however, and the flavor and art on this card has me hooked. I just wish it cost one less colorless mana. I'll run four, but I'm not sure if I'll keep them.

Fiery Fall 5R
Instant
Fiery Fall deals 5 damage to target creature.
Basic landcycling 1R (1R, Discard this card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)

(ham) Grade: F
I absolutely hate everything about this card except for the art. Unfortunately the art will not save it. It sucks. I have never needed to deal five damage to a creature. Well, not never, but you get me here. I don't even think this is Limited filler.

(Tekk) Fiery Fall: C+
Ham, my friend, it is blatantly obvious you have played very little Shards Limited. While this is admittedly crap in any sort of constructed environment and probably will be rarely seen even on kitchen tables, Fall deals with Naya in a way that very few of the removal cards in Shards/Conflux can. You do need to hit for 5 in this format. On top of that, it fixes mana in one of the screwiest blocks ever.
(ham) No, I have not had the chance to play much Shards Limited, but I can say that I see your points. I tend to forget how important the number five is to this block, and the more I think about land cycling, the more I realize that this card will actually fit well into a Limited slot. Good call. At my casual table, however, five damage to a creature is generally either overkill or just not enough,.

Gluttonous Slime 2G
Creature - Ooze
Flash
Devour 1 (As this comes into play, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature comes into play with that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
2/2

(Tekk) Grade: C
Despite what the rules text might tell you, this isn’t a very flashy card (Two snares and a cymbal fall off a cliff!). While this can get some cackles with creating a blocker out of thin air and as anti-Volcanic Fallout tech, it’s just a boring card.

(ham)Grade: B
I disagree. +1/+1 counters are good. Flash is good. Devour 1 is okay. Put them together and you have a decent creature. Now I can gang block your large attacker with my saprolings, flash in G. Slime and swing large next turn. I really wish we could some better art for slimes and oozes.

Goblin Outlander BR
Creature - Goblin Scout
Protection from white
2/2

(ham) Grade: C
I can't argue with protection(unless its from elves). Also, this guys a 2/2. I find that sufficiently big enough to make a difference. "No, you may not Oblivion Ring my Goblin Outlander," will be heard around kitchen tables in all corners of the world.

(Tekk) Grade: C+
I guess there are worse reprints out there than Shivan Zombie, Goblin bears are decent for their curve, and this does play well with Boggarts…

…but I mean, c’mon. Look at the dumb thing!

Goblin Razerunners 2RR
Creature - Goblin Warrior
1R, Sacrifice a land: Put a +1/+1 counter on Goblin Razerunners.
At the end of your turn, you may have Goblin Razerunners deal damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it to target player.
3/4

(Tekk) Grade: B+
While I can see myself playing this in a SCS deck built around it, I’ll never be using that first ability. If you’re putting +1/+1 counters on it in some other way, though, I can see it being fun. Plus, a 3/4 for 4 is always welcome in my draft decks. I like the flavor text, too.

(ham) Grade: D
Two red in the casting cost will make it difficult to get enough counters on it to be worthwhile. I would love for someone to prove me wrong. I guess I could Fate Transfer the counters from my Bloodhall Ooze, but now your talking around twelve cards and how much mana to do what? Pass.

Hellkite Hatchling 2RG
Creature - Dragon
Devour 1 (As this comes into play, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature comes into play with that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
Hellkite Hatchling has flying and trample if it devoured a creature.
2/2

(ham) Grade: A
An excellent addition to the Jund arsenal. I wouldn't play it unless I could make it a 5/5, but I don't really see that as being a problem. My Jund deck churns out tokens like you wouldn't believe...

(Tekk) Grade: C-
Honestly, I don’t get what everyone else sees in this card. In order to make it better than Assault Zeppelid, you’re going to need to devour at least 2 creatures, and even then you’re… well, you’re down 2 creatures! I suppose this has a lot to do with my dislike of Devour in general; it just doesn’t seem to be worth the cost. At least he’s the MOST “D’AWWW” DRAGON EVER.
(ham) Sacrificing can be a drawback, which is what steered me away from Jund at first, but my Jund deck seems to have no trouble supporting the body count. That said, I probably wouldn’t be dropping this without sacrificing at least two creatures. The thing with these cards is that they must be built around. They fail in that you can’t just toss them into a deck and see improvement.

Ignite Disorder 1R
Instant
Ignite Disorder deals 3 damage divided as you choose among any number of target white and/or blue creatures.

(Tekk) Grade: C
Decent in some Limited matchups, overcosted anywhere else. I’m sure it’s an alright card, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Next.

(ham) Grade: C
Meh, I’ll tend to agree here. I’ll draft it if I need to, but I have my Lightning Bolt at home. I guess you can divide up the damage, but there are way more effective cards.

Maniacal Rage 1R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and can't block.

(ham) Grade: F
Sorry, I don’t even care for the art on this card. It even backfires if I cast this on my opponents Wall of Reverence. Pass.

(Tekk) Grade: D
Boring filler reprint. Again. Has some slight limited uses, but it was a yawn inducing common in Exodus and it’s a yawn inducing common now. At least Mana Cylix and Worldly Counsel have something to do with the set’s themes.

Molten Frame 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact creature.
Cycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

(Tekk) Grade: B+
Great Limited card. Slaps that Esper player across the face, and replaces itself in any other matchup. I’m a little confused that this was printed only one set after Naturalize, but that doesn’t mean I don’t approve. Does this remind anyone else of Ancient Grudge? That sees a fair amount of play.

(ham) Grade: B-
Tekk’s more of the Limited Guru than I, but I do very much enjoy the format. Killing artifact creatures is good. What turns me off about this card is actually the word “creature”. What makes it “great in Limited” is that it can replace itself when useless.
(Tekk) Grade: Oh crap, I didn’t see the creature stipulation! I like this card significantly less, now.

Nyxathid 1BB
Creature - Elemental
As Nyxathid comes into play, choose an opponent.
Nyxathid gets -1/-1 for each card in the chosen player's hand.
7/7

(ham) Grade: A+
I love this card. I want four and I want to make you discard everything you have. I’m digging through my box as we speak to build around this guy. He reminds me a bit of the “Hunted” cycle in Ravnica. Cheap and huge with a drawback more pesky and annoying than troublesome in the least. Get it? I love it.

(Tekk) Grade: B+
I like the art, and he’ll frequently be ahead of the average for a creature his size, but I can’t help but feel that he’s a little boring. Although he does play well with my pal Mindslicer…

Quenchable Fire 3R
Sorcery
Quenchable Fire deals 3 damage to target player. It deals an additional 3 damage to that player at the beginning of your next upkeep step unless he or she pays U before that step.

(Tekk) Grade: C
Quenchable Fire is a card at odds with itself. In the format it wants to be the best in, Limited, it’s terrible because eighty to ninety percent of your opponents will have an extra Island to toss up. On the other hand, I can see this dorky little burn spell being tossed across kitchen tables everywhere. Saying it’s “good” really depends on your definition of the word. This one’s for you, Tim.

(ham) Grade: D
My definition of the word “good” is not “Quenchable Fire”. Though I find the art intriguing, the idea of a possible six damage for four mana is a bit risky to say the least. It’s not going to be good in Limited, and at the kitchen table its going to be in a very focused deck. Perhaps if you can control the colors for which your opponent can tap their lands… meh, I’ve got enough cards to give me headaches.

Rakka Mar 2RR
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Haste
R, T: Put a 3/1 red Elemental creature token with haste into play.
2/2

(ham) Grade: B-
I am on the fence here. I love the idea of hasted 3/1 tokens, but I am a strongly against almost everything with two red in its casting cost. Maybe I’m just being silly, but I am the kind of mage who really only likes to splash red, even in a Jund deck. Sur I can come up with my three red for Predator Dragon, but that card blows this out of the water. I almost feel like I’m wasting red mana. On the other hand, they are hasted 3/1 tokens which do not get sacrificed at end of turn, making them prime targets for your future Devour body counts. Let’s see if Tekk can shed some light on this guy. Oh yeah, and he’s Legendary. I’ll trade up if I pull this guy.

(Tekk) Grade: A-
Repeatable, Hasty token generation? You’re right, Ham, you are being silly. This card is great. What I really like about her is how modal she is. If you need an aggro strategy, Rakka Mar is there throwing continuous 3 power creatures into the fray. If you need tokens for something else, like… Devour, Rakka Mar can do that. Chump blockers? You get the idea. The only downside is that 2 toughness.

Scarland Thrinax BRG
Creature - Lizard
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Scarland Thrinax.
2/2

(Tekk) Grade: D+
While this certainly has the potential to get fat, at BRG there are a lot of things I’d rather be spending my mana on (like, I don’t know, the other Thrinax?). Scarland had a lot of potential had he been 1RG or 1BR, but the tri-color cost is a real killer. As it stands, I don’t see him popping up outside of Lizard Tribal (aka not at all).

(ham) Grade: B
I loved his cousin, who is inevitably a better tri-color creature, however, Scarland Thrinax offers Devour on wheels. Just in case your fodder isn’t there to feed your Hellkite Hatchling as it hit’s the table, Scarland gets bigger anytime you want. I think he’s going to offer a lot of combolicious options for Johnnies like me. Hmmm, Lizard Tribal, you say?

Spore Burst 3G
Sorcery
Domain - Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play for each basic land type among lands you control.

(ham) Grade: D
Bummer. When I read the name I thought it would be much better. Spore Burst sounds like it should be able to pump out many more creatures than five. I guess you can run Doubling Season, but there are better options out there for tokens. Add that it’s a sorcery and you can drop this one right into your unused commons box. It will probably see some Limited play, but I can’t get over my initial disappointment.

(Tekk) Grade: C
When this card first popped up in the Rumor Mill, my response was “I’ll just keep playing Ordered Migration”. That sentiment hasn’t really left. While 5 tokens for 4 mana is good (compare it to the popular Dragon Fodder), there are so many other options that I really don’t see any use for this card.

Suicidal Charge 3BR
Enchantment
Sacrifice Suicidal Charge: Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1 until end of turn. Those creatures attack this turn if able.

(Tekk) Grade: C+
Suicidal Charge is one of the many “Fae-Killers” crammed into Conflux. Good art, good flavor, mediocre card. It looks to me like Wizards was really hesitant about this card; it has the potential to be playable at a more aggressive mana cost, but that skirts the line of being too good, and the last thing we need is to dethrone Fairies with something even better.

(ham) Grade: C
Yeah, it seems Fae are on the way out(thank God), and I have to agree on the art and flavor. Its downside is its five mana cost. I don’t think it would be that much better at four, but five seems to take it out of Standard rotation.

Toxic Iguanar R
Creature - Lizard
Toxic Iguanar has deathtouch as long as you control a green permanent. (Whenever it deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)
1/1

(ham) Grade: C
It’s better than nothing. A one drop with the potential to trade for a larger creature. The art seems to be run-of-the-mill for something Deathtouch. A better depiction of why it gets Deathtouch would make me happier. Is it odd that I want my abilities explained in such a manner? Anyhoo, nothing special to me.

(Tekk) Grade: C-
I had the opportunity to play with this little fellow at the prerelease, so I’m just going to speak from experience: he isn’t that good.

Tukatongue Thallid G
Creature - Fungus
When Tukatongue Thallid is put into a graveyard from play, put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
1/1

(Tekk) Grade: A-
What kind of Thallid doesn’t use Spore counters? You, sir, are an imposter! In all seriousness, though, this is a very solid common 1-drop. It plays well with Jund, and it chumps twice! The only thing I would’ve preferred is one small change: make the token black and call him Penumbra Thallid. Way to drop the ball on that one, guys!

(ham) Grade: B
You would think that being a +1/+1 counter guy that I would get excited for Thallids, but I have always hated fungi, and when they rehashed them in recent years I just wasn‘t impressed. I don’t see this as a solid one drop. Okay in a themed deck, and the fact you can sacrifice it twice helps, but if I’m playing competitively I’ve got many more choices for the one slot. I agree on the last comment, though, it shouldn’t be a Saproling.

Unstable Frontier
Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T: Target land you control becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.

(ham) Grade: C
It fixes mana. It doesn’t come into play tapped. I’ll have to play this to get a better feel, but I like the fact I can use it right away.

(Tekk) Grade: F
Crap crap crap. As far as fixing goes, I never want to tap two lands for one mana. I suppose it’s better than Shimmering Grotto in that it sets up Domain, but I would still never play either. This was better the first time I read it and missed the “you control” clause.
(ham) Ah, yes. I was wondering about that. The “land you control” is definitely a drawback. I think I’d stick with Tekk’s advice on this one.

Viashino Slaughtermaster 1R
Creature - Viashino Warrior
Double strike
BG: Viashino Slaughtermaster gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn.
1/1

(Tekk) Grade: A
2 mana Double Strikers are good. They’re always good. Double Strikers for 1R that can pump? Now we’re talking. Top that off with being one of Jund’s awesome Alligator-Viashino, terrifying flavor text, and a name like “Slaughtermaster” and you’ve got one hell of a BAMF Uncommon.

(ham) Grade: C
You can only pump it once each turn. I guess it still swings for four, but I am not impressed. It may be because I hate Doublestrikers because they are always killing me…

Voracious Dragon 3RR
Creature - Dragon
Flying
Devour 1 (As this comes into play, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature comes into play with that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
When Voracious Dragon comes into play, it deals damage to target creature or player equal to twice the number of Goblins it devoured.
4/4

(ham) Grade: C
I really wish it didn’t say “Goblins”, but it will still be fun. I have a friend who desperately needs this. On game night he shows up with about five different Goblin decks. They get better each week and if I pull this I’ll straight up gift it to him. It should have haste, but then it would be too much like Predator Dragon and there would be no reason to print it.

(Tekk) Grade: B+
I’m torn. On one hand, it eats Goblins. It gets rid of the little @#$%ers. I should be happy about that, right? When he’s burning me to the head for 10 those’ll be tears of joy because 5 Goblins just died.

In other words, way to give more oomph to the white-tailed deer of Tribal, Wizards. I’m gonna go gulp down some cyanide.

Wandering Goblins 2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior
Domain - 3: Wandering Goblins gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each basic land type among lands you control.
0/3

(Tekk) Grade: D
I’d rather play Matca Rioters. I’d rather play Kavu Scout. Nothing else to say about these dorks.

(ham) Grade: C
I like the flavor text on this one, but I’m not going to pay three mana to sacrifice them to anyone. If their ability cost less they might be playable. As is, I find them average.

Worldheart Phoenix 3R
Creature - Phoenix
Flying
You may play Worldheart Phoenix from your graveyard by paying WUBRG rather than paying its mana cost. If you do, it comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
2/2

(ham) Grade: ???
I really don’t know what to make of this. It reeks of combo fun, but its just not that good. At most it’s a 4/4(6/6 with Doubling Season), but if I have all five colors there are so many other options out there. It should be cheaper in the first place. Maybe it will fit into the discard theme going on around Malfegor, but more likely than not this is going to the budget rare box. Ugh, what a crappy card to end with…

(Tekk) Grade: C+
It combos with Scarland Thrinax! In other words, I agree with Ham. An unkillable creature should be cooler than this. As it stands Worldheart Phoenixes will be filling dollar binders everywhere for years to come.

That wraps up the second review for Jund. Surprisingly enough, the grades were more or less even across the board, with some solid cards to some that are absolute garbage. Of course, you’re probably all going to disagree with us to hell and back, aren’t you?

You know the drill. Forum’s that way, discuss to your heart’s content.

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