Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Set Review: Red
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.
Akki Ember-Keeper 2.0
A goblin piker that provides a bit of value when your modified creatures die is a middling two drop that you won’t be happy to play but nicely fills a spot on the curve.
Akki Ronin 1.5
A two-mana 1/3 that can allow you to rummage when a creature attacks alone is a nice effect to have in limited to keep the cards flowing or trade early, but this is not a card I am actively looking to include in my decks.
Akki War Paint 1.0
Yes, this one mana aura is a cheap way to modify your creature, but I caution against playing this card unless you are asking to get two for one’d.
Ambitious Assault 1.0 (synergy 2.0)
Trumpet Blast that draws a card if you have a modified creature is a nice bonus, and if there is a reasonable tokens strategy in the format, I can envision running two copies of this effect to win a game out of nowhere.
Bronzeplate Boar 3.0
3/2 artifact creature with trample is a fine rate on curve, and the ability to reconfigure this onto another threat for 5 mana gives this a bit of late-game utility to push extra damage.
Crackling Emergence 2.0
A call back to Genju of the Spires, this land enchantment has built-in protection for when it would die in combat. This card is a fine aggressive threat but doesn’t pack enough punch for my liking.
Dragonspark Reactor 3.0
Similar to Shrine of Burning Rage and Relic Amulet, this card sits in play accruing value before popping to remove a threat and deal additional damage to your opponent is a powerful build-around for artifact-heavy decks.
Experimental Synthesizer 2.5
This is a strange card. One mana for a single card Reckless Impulse hit on ETB and when leaving gives a red deck some card advantage that sits in play and can be cashed in for a three mana 2/2 creature and another card at a later time. The sorcery speed timing restriction on the activation is unfortunate, but this little card seems very good for grinding out a late game.
Explosive Entry (Sideboard) 3.0
Sorcery speed Shatter and putting a +1/+1 counter on a creature is a powerful sideboard card. In a world full of vehicles and equipment, this is a very powerful sideboard card that I want access to multiple copies of.
Explosive Singularity 3.5
This effect is very unique. When you put the words’ Ten damage to any target” on a card, I’m immediately very interested in what I have to do for this effect. 10 mana with convoke may seem like a lot, but if you can generate a strong board presence, this can win the game out of nowhere.
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2.5
A callback to Kiki-Jiki, this card falls way short of what lovers of the little goblin could want in returning to Kamigawa. Three mana for a 2/2 that creates a treasure on attacks plus a double rummage is a bit of value but does not excite me. The creature side, Reflection of Kiki-Jiki, has a similar effect to its namesake, except it costs 1 mana to activate and does not have haste for combo shenanigans.
Flame Discharge 3.5
An X damage red burn spell is always strong, and the bonus two damage, if you control a modified creature, allows for a cost reduction to deal a similar amount of damage. Blaze this is not, however, as this only hits creatures or planeswalkers.
Gift of Wrath 1.5
Any four mana creature aura has to do a lot for me to consider including it in a deck, and this one..still does not entice me. While the usual risk of getting two for one’d by a removal spell is partially mitigated by leaving a 2/2 creature token behind when the aura leaves the battlefield, removal in response to this being cast is a disaster.
Go-Shintai of Ancient Ways 3.0
Three mana for a 2/2 with first strike is a solid defensive creature in a format where your opponent is trying to set up ninjutsu attacks, and the shrine text is just a bonus. Only dealing damage to players or planeswalkers does put a damper on my excitement, but adding to your shrine count, especially in conjunction with the green shrine that can make this larger, is some real synergy.
Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei 3.5
This card does it all, gives haste to your creatures, and pumps out 5/5 dragons once you’ve got a modified creature.
Heiko Yamazaki, the General (Build around) 3.5
This card is best friends with Experimental Synthesizer, and I am looking forward to grinding out a lot of games with these two cards. Recasting artifact creatures and then trading them.
Invoke Calamity (Build around) 3.0
This card is tough to cast and to get full value from it, you need to have a density of spells worth casting again by the time you cast this. However, if you can get full value, this is a powerful game-changing spell to cast.
Ironhoof Boar 2.0
Six mana for a 5/4 trample haste doesn’t pass muster in limited these days, and I am more interested in this card as a two mana combat trick on the channel ability, giving +3/+1 and trample, especially in combination with the attacking alone mechanic in red and white.
Kami of Industry 2.0
This five drop has a big butt, and bringing back an artifact with an enters the battlefield ability is a little bit of value-added onto a great blocker that I really am hoping not to have to play.
Kami’s Flare 2.5
Two mana for three damage is always a strong common removal spell for limited, and this can deal two to your opponent, which is a cherry on top.
Kindled Fury 1.5
One mana tricks in limited will get you a few times, and this reprint can be a big blowout in combat. That being said, when your opponent leaves up a single red mana, keep that kindled fury in mind.
Kumano Faces Kakkazan 3.0
A really nice card to curve out with, making your two drop bigger and then transforming into a 2/2 haste on turn three packs a solid punch.
Lizard Blades 2.5
A new take on Fireshrieker, this little guy moves around and packs a mean punch. Fragile when unequipped, this card is a must answer.
March of Reckless Joy 3.0
A powerful card advantage spell, casting this for a large amount on your opponent’s end step before untapping and casting two spells from among them is quite powerful in the midgame.
Ogre-Head Helm 3.0
This creature has a lot of text, but paying 3 mana for +2/+2 that can let you cash it in later for three cards at the cost of your hand has a lot of upside, not to mention this is a solid creature on its own.
Peerless Samurai 2.5
This menacing creature is a great way to get in for damage in your attack alone matters decks, even though its ability is mediocre.
Rabbit Battery 3.0
Single red for a Leonin Scimitar that can be moved around on the cheap is extremely efficient and is a great way to enable modify matters cards.
Reinforced Ronin 2.0
This little goblin guide comes back to hand each end step, and when it serves its usefulness, you can discard it to draw a new card. I like this little guy, but only the most aggressive decks want this card.
Scrap Welder 2.5
This is a cute card to try to assemble combos, but a three mana 3/3 is no joke.
Scrapyard Steelbreaker 3.0
This card can threaten a lot of damage in big chunks and looks to be a nice common payoff for decks with artifacts to throw around.
Seismic Wave 2.5
Three mana for shock plus one damage to each non-artifact creature of your opponent feels a lot like Savage Alliance, a card that had extreme blowout potential in its limited format, and I anticipate this card doing similar things.
The Shattered States Era 2.0
Spending five mana for an act of treason is something some red decks may be interested in at the top of their curve, and the +1/+0 team pump on the second chapter can push that last bit of damage needed to kill your opponent. However, the 3/3 haste creature on the flip side of this saga is quite disappointing.
Simian Sling 2.0
Tormentor’s Helm in creature form is a unique twist on aggressively slanted equipment that adds up to a lot of incremental damage throughout the game.
Sokenzan Smelter (Build around) 2.5
While this card requires to be fed artifacts to make 3/1s each turn, if you can get this online, this is a powerful source of repeatable artifacts for other effects.
Tempered in Solitude 2.0
This red card advantage engine requires you to attack each turn to draw an additional card, which may not be feasible every turn.
Thundering Raiju 3.5
This card has some serious Hellrider vibes, and Thundering Raiju packs a serious punch, dealing damage for each other modified creature you control. This card even helps contribute to the modification of other creatures!
Towashi Songshaper 2.0
An artifact bear that gains power when other artifacts enter the battlefield, the ceiling on this card is quite low.
Twinshot Sniper 3.0
The mythic uncommon of the set, this Flametongue Kavu variant that can also be a two mana shock, is extremely flexible, and I do not anticipate passing this very often.
Unstoppable Ogre 2.0
While this card may claim to be unstoppable, having one toughness in a world full of 1/1 spirit tokens is far from it. Facilitating an attack for another creature is nice, but this card is fragile.
Upriser Renegade Build around 2.5
A two mana 1/3 that gets bigger for each other modified creature you control is quite poor on its own but can grow extremely large when surrounded by the right creatures and spells.
Voltaic Surge 2.5
Shock with sacrifice an artifact kicker to deal four damage to a creature or planeswalker is a cheap and efficient removal spell that looks to be a high pick in red.
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