It's been a while since I last bought a pack of cards for Magic: The Gathering. I wasn't sure what the Streets of New Capenna set would be like, but the theme of underworld crime isn't outside the realm of fantasy. It doesn't look too heavily influenced by the real world 1930s gangsters as I had been concerned, and instead it seems to take subtle cues from art deco while leaning into the usual art themes of past magic sets with technology.
As in some of my posts from the past, I'll take a look at each card I pulled from this pack and offer my opinions. With one exception, all of these seem to be new cards for this release. Spoiler alert: I don't think any of the ones I pulled have a high market value. I can find a use for most, though. Which would you use in your own decks? Is this set any good overall? Chime in with your own comments at the end!
Backstreet Bruiser: a cephalid creature type? Hmmm. CMC 2 for a 3/3 defender who can lose that inability to attack is solid.
Raffine's Guideance CMC 1 for a +1/+1 enchantment that can also be cast at a higher cost from the graveyard is interesting, but I'm not sold. At least it isn't subsequently exiled, though.
Witty Roastmaster: pure gold. Red decks want this. He could make a Boros token deck lethal, and Krenko decks want him for sure.
Civic Gardener: a 2-drop green 2/2 who untaps land when he attacks is not bad at all.
Maestros Initiate: unless a deck is built on graveyard shenanigans and doesn't have a better card draw engine, this does not look great at all.
Make Disappear: a strange variation on the standard blue counterspell, and I don't know what to think of it.
Midnight Assassin: CMC 3 for a 1/2 isn't great, but it has both flying and deathtouch, so it can threaten things way above its cost.
Body Dropper: now this card is gangster! CMC 2 for a 2/2 is decent, but sacrificing creatures makes him stronger, and he can also gain the menace ability.
Skybridge Towers: meh. Dual-color land that enters tapped. Seen it before. The card draw option is overcosted in my opinion, too.
But what's this? There were only nine commons. That can only mean one thing: a foil!
On to the trio of uncommons, the rare, and the foil bonus card. There was also a neat full art land and the usual sales insert, but I didn't include them in this shot.
Rumor Gatherer: a reprint from a prior D&D-themed release, technically, but a good card. This is also good for token decks or any other deck style featuring a lot of creature cards. Like the Witty Roastmaster above, this would be great in a Boros token deck.
Rogues' Gallery: wonderful art, and the mechanic gets better the more colors a deck runs. I like everything here.
Stimulus Package: I haven't had much luck building decks that really exploit treasure tokens, but if I ever do, this card looks good.
Evelyn, the Covetous: OK, it looks like I need to brew a vampire tribal EDH deck in Grixis/UBR. The CMC 5 is steep, but she has toughness 5, Flash, and huge synergy. The mana cost is also easier to meet since she only absolutely needs a swamp, and the rest can be any combination of her colors.
Tramway Station: not the alternate art version, but shiny. My opinion is the same as Skybridge Towers above.
