Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Set Review: Green
All ratings follow the Limited Resources ratings scale as listed below:
5.0 – The best of the best.
4.5 – Incredible bomb, but not unbeatable.
4.0 – Good rare or top tier uncommon.
3.5 – Top tier common or solid uncommon.
3.0 – Good playable that basically always makes the cut.
2.5 – Solid playable that rarely gets cut.
2.0 – Good filler that sometimes gets cut.
1.5 – Filler, gets cut about half the time.
1.0 – Bad filler, gets cut most of the time.
0.5 – Very low end playables and sideboard cards.
0.0 – Completely unplayable.
The Dragon-Kami Reborn 2.0
This saga is interesting, as it has no immediate impact on the game for its first two chapters, just gaining 2 life and hiding away a creature card from the top three cards of your library on each trigger. Once transformed, the death of the 0/1 egg enchantment creature allowing you to cast one of the hidden creatures can regain a large amount of tempo lost while setting up. Notably, the backside also triggers on the death of other dragon creatures, of which there are only five at mythic. The fail case on this card is bad.
Fang of Shigeki 2.0
1/1 deathtouch creatures for G have long been a staple of limited formats, from sedge scorpion in Theros and moss viper in Theros Beyond Death, but this is the first time it gets the enchantment creature subtype. While this is an excellent enabler for ninjitsu, the presence of 1/1 colorless spirit tokens in the format might throw a wrench in those plans.
Storyweave synergy 2.5
This 2G instant is below rate for just putting two +1/+1 counters on a creature, but the real power of this card is the ability to immediately transform one of your sagas by putting two lore counters on the saga and immediately become an enchantment creature with two +1/+1 counters on it. Using this as a combat trick to create a blocker out of nowhere, especially on sagas that become flyers on the backside, can be extremely powerful. I would not recommend playing this for just the first mode and would want at least three sagas before putting this in my deck.
Generous Visitor build around 3.0
It takes a lot for me to play a one mana 1/1 in limited, but the words “whenever you cast an enchantment spell, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature” certainly gives me hope for this card. Similar to Karok Wrangler from Strixhaven’s Magecraft trigger, a low-cost build around that encourages you to fill your deck with enchantment creatures. As with all build arounds, this card has diminishing returns as a late-game top deck, but I think this card has the potential to be very powerful if played in the opening turns of a game.
Historian’s Wisdom 1.5
Spending 2G for an aura that gives only +2/+1 to the permanent enchanted, and only if it’s a creature, is not something I am usually in the market for in my limited decks. This card’s ability to cantrip on entering the battlefield if it has the greatest power of creatures on the battlefield makes this slightly less embarrassing to put in your deck, but like most auras in limited, it is asking for a two for one not in your favor. If you have multiple cards that care about casting or controlling enchantments, this card goes up slightly in value, but I would have to be very desperate to play one this bad.
Bamboo Grove Archer 2.0
Two mana 3/3s with defender and reach can do quite a lot at making sure you do not get run over in the early game, and the enchantment creature subtype does make this creature a bit more. However, while this card pays homage to the original Azusa, Lost but Seeking, explore, this is not. The idea of putting an extra land into play is something that entices many players, it is highly overrated, and unlike Explore, this does not draw a card. Well, sort of. The correct way of viewing this card and other similar lower power level sagas is as creatures with suspend. (notably, creatures with suspend do have haste when they come off suspend, these do not). This is a two mana 3/3 creature with suspend two that lets you put a land in play and then gains you three life. So if you are on board for a turn four 3/3 that comes in and gains you three life, the card is just alright. It’s a nice synergy card. But far from being broken.
Following the same framework as Azusa, this is a two mana 2/2 that mills three cards, which transforms into a growing threat that can spread a +1/+1 counter while removing cards from a graveyard. This card is a solid rate for two mana, but the backside will always trade down in combat.
Centaur courser is a fine card for limited, and this is a centaur courser with a very ‘high’ ceiling. Granting trample to modified creatures gives your deck a lot of ‘reach,’ and while rampant growth on combat damage is a fine bit of card advantage, the true strength of this card is based on your ability to modify creatures and trample over for lethal. Oh, and it has reach too.
Weaver of Harmony 3.5
An enchantment creature lord that can copy saga chapter triggers for only two mana is a really strong build around that packs a lot of punch on a cheap body. I am very into this card.
Spinning Wheel Kick 2.0
This card has a lot of text that can be boiled down to 2GG deal damage equal to target creature or planeswalker, 4GG to two targets, etc. Unfortunately, this is sorcery speed, and while it does scale into the late game as a one-sided board wipe, the efficiency rate is clunky.
Coiling Stalker 2.5
A green goblin piker with ninjitsu that grows itself with a +1/+1 counter on combat damage, then grows other creatures on later hits synergizes quite nicely with the modified creature mechanic.
Heir of the Ancient Fang 2.0 (2.5 synergy)
A three mana 2 3 is way below rate by current limited standards. If you can make this a 3/4 on curve, this card is quite solid, but this card does not look like a card I actively want in my deck.
Kura, the boundless Sky 4.0
Five mana 4/4 Flying deathtouch creatures are always solid, and this one dies into a minimum 5/5 creature token or helps find any three lands from your deck, including the common dual lands.
Go-Shintai of Boundless Vigor (3.0, 3.5 synergy)
The green shrine of this cycle reminds me of Chronomoton, putting a counter on itself each turn for one mana. This gets exponentially more powerful the more shrines you control. The ability to spread the counters around to other shrines makes this a snowballing threat that will require an immediate answer.
Tales of Master Seshiro 3.0
Five mana for two +1/1 counters distributed over two turns transforming into a 5/5 haste on turn seven is just breaking even on stats for mana invested, but the delay on the body that is actually relevant is entirely worth the wait.
Boon of Boseiju 1.5
Two mana untap combat tricks have been around in green for a long time, and this is the best one yet, scaling with your largest CMC permanent. This will kill people out of nowhere, and knowing its existence in the format will make for some exciting combats, especially if you get blown out by it in a previous game. Of course, this is still a combat trick, so there is a ceiling on how good this card is, but I really like this card.
Shigeki, Jukai Visionary 3.0
This card is a lot. First off, it’s a two mana 1/3, which is a solid enabler for ninjutsu attacks. The ability to effectively ‘mulch,’ putting a land from the top four into play, and returning to your hand for the second part of this card. The channel cost on this card is high; 2gg for regrowth, or 4GG for 2 regrowths, and so on allows you to grind through the mid and late game. Notably, this cannot regrow legendary cards, so you cannot loop two of them if you are lucky enough to draft two copies, but it is still very powerful.
Orochi Merge-Keeper 2.5
Two mana, mana dorks, are only printed at uncommon these days, and their inclusion at that rarity indicates how powerful that acceleration is to the speed of the format. Modifying this creature does produce an additional mana, but placing a counter on a creature not interacting in combat poses a dilemma.
Webspinner Cuff 2.5
On its base rate, Hitch Claw Recluse is fine, but the ability to give another creature its power and toughness and reach for four mana is really nice flexibility but does ask for a steep investment to equip.
March of Burgeoning Life 0.0
No. Just don’t put this card into your deck. This card has zero applications in limited.
Blossom Prancer 3.5
Five mana 4/4 impulse for a creature or enchantment, or gain 4 life is such an efficient rate, I love this card, and it’s a significant pull into green for me.
Roaring Earth 2.5
A strange landfall enchantment that works very well in decks that care about modified creatures, the channel ability on this card is a late-game mana sink to create a sizeable instant speed blocker can be a big blowout.
Boseiju Reaches Skyward 3.5
Spending four mana to put two forests in hand, not the battlefield, is not what I want to spend my time doing in limited, nor is placing a land from my graveyard on top of my deck something that appeals to me. However, the flip side of an x/x creature with reach with power and toughness equal to the number of lands you control is a big threat that I really like to end the game.
Geothermal Kami 2.5
We all love borderland minotaur, and this has some significant upside. Being able to pick up a saga in play and gain three life is a real nice upside, especially if you have one of the powerful rare sagas in your deck.
Greater Tanuki 2.5
Six mana 6/5 enchantment creature with trample is a fine top end for a green deck, and the three mana rampant growth at instant speed on its channel ability is a nice bit of common color fixing and ramp for green.
Tamiyo’s safekeeping 1.0
One mana for indestructible and hexproof for any permanent is a cute way to protect sagas from targeted removal, but not granting any power and toughness boosts when it targets a creature would lead me to shy away from playing this card unless I had something incredible to protect.
Season of renewal 2.0
In Journey into Nyx, Reviving Melody, we’ve seen this card before but at sorcery speed. This card being an instant makes it really enticing, as you can trade off on your opponent’s turn and end step rebuy a creature and an enchantment creature.
Master’s rebuke 3.0
Instant speed Rabid Bite will be one of the best green commons in the set. Pick it early and often.
Jukai preserver 2.5
This card has a lot of flexibility, either as four power and four toughness for four mana or a three mana combat trick spreading two +1/+1 counters across two creatures. I like this card a fair amount.
Jukai trainee 2.0
A bear with non keyworded bushido one is a fine two drop but not exciting.
Harmonious emergence 2.5
A strange land aura that essentially costs five, not four mana to play and attack with the land it’s enchanting. Having built-in protection for the land if it were to die in combat is a nice templating change from the old land enchantments from the original Kamigawa block.
Grafted growth 2.5
I am a big lover of Gift of Paradise style effects, and this one trades 3 life for a +1/+1 counter on a creature or vehicle, a big bonus in a set that cares about having counters on your creatures. This will be a cornerstone of multicolored green decks in this format.
Favor of Jukai 1.5
A four mana creature aura is never exciting in limited, but the channel ability as a +3/+3 and reach combat trick makes this a bit more flexible and not completely filler.
Commune with spirits 1.5
A new take on one mana commune with X cycles, commune with spirits only looks at the top four cards for an enchantment or land, unlike five on previous versions. This leads me to believe that this card was changed in development because of how often this card hits. I think this is a strong role player in decks with powerful enchantments, especially with a bomb to find.
Careful Cultivation 2.5
The printed text on this card is not exciting whatsoever, but the channel ability is where the real power lies. Instant speed Llanowar Elf for 2 mana is quite efficient by today’s standards and looks like a high pick green common.
Bearer of memory 2.5
An above replacement level enchantment creature, the late-game mana sink this card provides makes this a fine inclusion in any green deck.
Kappa Tech-wrecker 2.5
This card is a premier ninjitsu enabler, and it has ninjutsu. A 1/3 with deathtouch is notoriously awkward to block and can enable a ninjutsu attack quite well. Tack on its ability to lose deathtouch to exile an artifact or enchantment, and you’ve got an extremely flexible creature that can deal with a problematic permanent.
Fade into Antiquity 2.0
The first copy of this three mana sorcery speed artifact and enchantment removal is fine and improves after sideboarding in certain matchups. The exile part of this spell does have some relevance.
Spring-Leaf Avenger 3.0
Four mana ninjitsu for a 6/5 is big stats, and tacking on Nature’s Spiral to this card makes it a real value engine. Paying five mana for this is fine, but the first hit is the one that really matters. A solid card, but not amazing.
Kami of Transience 3.0 build around
A bear with trample that grows when you cast enchantment spells? I’m in. Oh, it also comes back to hand when enchantments you control are put into the graveyard? Super in.
This saga is an extremely powerful engine card that can take over a game if unanswered. Three mana for a Llanowar Elf and two +1/+1 counters is a tad underwhelming, but the creature half, Remnant of the Rising Star, is where the real power of the saga lies. A 2/2 flier on its base is nothing to scoff at, but being able to sink all your extra mana into putting X +1/+1 counters on a creature when it enters the battlefield turns your cheap creatures into giant monsters very quickly. Of course, if you can assemble five modified creatures, this card becomes a 7/7 flying trampler, but let’s be honest, your opponent is likely already dead at this point.
This card is incredibly powerful. Five mana for two 4/5s is busted. It is also extremely prohibitive to cast. 1GGGG is an extremely steep cost in any format, especially limited. You should play no fewer than 11 or 12 forests if you want to have any chance at casting this card by turn six. This card will also come around late in packs if no drafter is able to cast it. This is a significant signal to move into green in pack one if someone is foolish enough to pass it.
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