Ah, the Ixalan block. Pirates, dinosaurs, and treasure! What's not to like? Let's crack open a pack and take a look-see.
Only 9 commons. That means a foil awaits!
Frilled Deathspitter costs 2R for a 3/2, which initially looks poor, but the Enrage ability to hurt an opponent whenever it takes damage is quite nice. If I build a dino deck, I want three more.
Divine Verdict: pay 3W. Nuke something. Not bad. Not a new card, but the art in this set is pretty sweet.
Moment of Craving could be a nice Hail Mary. 1B to inflict -2/-2 on something and gain 2 life. Even if it doesn't kill something, it reduces its damage and nets some life gain to boot.
Naturalize is another old card with new art. A big dino stomped an artifact and didn't even notice. More disconcertingly, the perspective indicates you're next. 1G to destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Jungleborn Pioneer costs 2G for a 2/2, but also gets a bonus 1/1 token with hexproof. Great merfolk tribal card.
Buccaneer's Bravado offers options. For 1R, you can either give any creature +1/+1 and first strike, or you can give a pirate creature +1/+1 and double strike. Decent, or AWESOME!
Grasping Scoundrel: B for a 1/1 that gets +1/+0 on the attack. And it's a pirate, so it's an option if your deck includes the previous card. I like it.
Secrets of the Golden City costs 1UU and grants a status called "the city's blessing" if you control at least ten permanents. Several cards in this set offer extra bonuses if you have the city's blessing, including this card itself. Draw two cards, or draw three if you have that status. Nice.
Tilonalli's Crown is odd. 1R, enchant creature, and deal 1 damage to it, but give it +3/+0 and trample. So it needs to have more than 1 toughness to benefit, and carries that one extra damage until the end of that turn if I am remembering how damage is recovered correctly. Hmm. Throw it on that deathspitter dino and stack a free 2 damage to target opponent, plus have something that hits like a ton of bricks...
Uncommons are up next!
Flood of Recollection: UU to return an instant or sorcery card from the graveyard to your hand. Much more useful in a singleton format like Commander, I think.
Oathsworn Vampire costs 1B for a 2/2. It enters trapped, though. Boo! But then again, it can also potentially be cast from the graveyard. Yay! In a vampire deck, this could be a solid card, since lifelink is almost a guarantee, and bringing bodies back could leave room for other spells in the deck.
Siren Reaver: meh. 3U for a 3/2 flyer is kind of a bad deal, especially with that silver uncommon icon. The Raid ability to reduce casting costs by 1 makes it less bad, but you would still need a pirate theme deck to make it worthwhile IMHO.
Now, the rare.
Brass's Bounty is a nice mana ramp option in a color that needs mana ramp. This card is around $3 even now when this set is long out of rotation for Standard.
And finally, the foil!
Azor's Gateway costs 2, and its ability costs an extra 1, and it needs to be triggered at least 5 times to flip the card and gain the transformation into a Legendary Land, but if you jump through all those hoops, you get some nice mana ramping goodness. This is pure gold in EDH, and the card is worth almost $9 right now online.
Rounding out the pack is a deck insert that can take the place of that glorious foil mythic rare and an extra white vampire token.
This pack was a good one. What wants a place in your deck? What inspires a new brew? Comment below!