It's a very exciting time to be playing standard.
With previous sets we've had access to ghost cards that included all the common and rare cards from the most recent set. We didn't get that with this set, so my first recommendation is that you pick up your own copy of each common and rare card from the set.
I'll introduce some of the epic and legendary cards from Conclave Arcana like I did when Rebellion came out. I'll use a 5 star rating system. Here's what each of those ratings represent. These ratings are based on level 1 cards with a single BCX as we're getting used to the set.
5/5 stars
These are cards that I expect to be staples. These are generally great cards starting at level 1 and should work well in a wide variety of situations. Think cards like Mantaroth from Rebellion, Djinn Oshannus, Cursed Windeku and pretty much all the cards with the protect ability that get used like they're going out of style.
4/5 stars
These cards are good generally and great situationally. Think cards like Ash Mirage and Tinderlock in the going the distance ruleset.
3/5 stars
These are decent cards that are mostly filler if you don't have anything better. They'll be strong contributors in the right situations. Think cards like Corsair Bosun, Runic Skyclaw and Igor Darkspear. Solid cards that you may not think to use unless the mana cost is just right.
2/5 stars
These are cards that have the potential to be useful in the right situation, like if the ruleset and the mana line up you might give them a try and you might feel disappointment that this was the best you could come up with. Think cards like Biceratops or Goblin Tower.
1/5 stars
These are cards that you can't think of a good use for. Maybe I could just burn this card for DEC or maybe they just haven't come up with the right ruleset for it yet. Think level 1 Venari Heatsmith before they came up with weapons training or Goblin Chef. If you aren't familiar with those cards, it may be that you've never used them and/or never bothered to pick up a copy.
So, here we go.
Folen Flameye
4/5 stars
Flameye isn't likely to see a ton of play in wild format. This current modern format doesn't have a lot of monsters slinging 3 damage at level 1.
Sylvaran Sentinel
3/5 stars
I thought about giving this 2 stars until I saw the speed. I should include the caveat in these ratings that they are not just for 1 BCX, but also for the modern format since that's what I'm playing right now. The team did a good job of not letting power creep take over the game.
Decrepit Windseer
3/5 stars
I'm interested to see bloodline tribute in action, not to mention the bloodline mechanics in general. I think there's a lot of untapped potential there (especially in standard). I think bloodline may start to play a significant roll in the meta when people start to figure them out. Based on pop culture, I don't really think of elves becoming decrepit. It's a very interesting artwork and a very interesting flavor choice.
Mahkah Hemlig
5/5 stars
I haven't seen this in action yet. Seems like a significant upgrade to Mordeus.
4 Magic damage with opportunity sounds like a kill every turn. 4 health seems a little fragile for 9 mana, but the speed should at least allow for that first kill.
What do you think of my ratings? What do you think of the new set?
I hope this post has been helpful and informative. Thanks for reading and thanks for all the upvotes, reblogs, comments and follows. I'll see you in the game. If you're interested in starting your own Splinterlands adventure feel free to use my affiliate link to get started https://splinterlands.com?ref=jingo-submo PeakD is a terrific site for learning more about the game and the market.