Usman's Articles: Cube Set Reviews
Dating back to New Phyrexia.
I’d had some requests for older set reviews I’d done, and figured that I should list them out as well as making this an easy-to-find repository of set reviews that I’ve done over the years, which made up the bulk of my content from 2015-2024.
I didn’t always do this in the early years but I’ve incorporated winning/3-0 decklists into my articles, so that I can note how cards play out based on real-world experience rather than anecdotes/speculation which (still) tends to drive discourse for card evaluation.
Nobody’s perfect, myself included, but I’ve mostly called what’s been good/bad in these cube reviews.
2025
2024
Foundations (with TrainmasterGT)
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Ravnica Allegiance. I’m glad I caught Hydroid Krasis and while it’s still currently overrated because of how it’s (or at least was?) performing in Standard, Simic is real shallow so anything good is welcomed.
Ultimate Masters – Pauper and Peasant. This was one of my first reviews after focusing more on peasant over pauper. I feel like the heroic archetype is a few cards from really being a thing in pauper. Who knows if it’ll get there, though.
2018
Guilds of Ravnica. This ended up being my longest review at around 14000 words. Decklists tend to inflate that number but I remember the document was about 25 pages, and only about 5 were decklists. It took me forever to find how I wanted to articulate my thoughts on Risk Factor (I had an outline entirely for it) but I’m very happy with the overall review.
Battlebond and Commander 2018. Some sets with some wonky cards. Najeela’s great though.
m19. Skimming through it, I remember seeing some minor hype about Demon of Catastrophes, but knew it’d be mediocre. Turns it out that it is.
Dominaria. All praise lord Karn.
Masters 25 – Pauper and Peasant. I’m still stoked that they downgraded Jackal Pup to common.
Rivals of Ixalan. I still agree that Skymarcher Aspirant is the 3rd 2-power white 1-drop behind Kytheon and Isamaru. So so good.
Unstable. I’d say Sword of D&D may be one of the better swords rather than one of the worst. Set has some nice stuff for cubes. I’d love a GO TO JAIL type of card to be printed in a “real” set.
2017
Iconic Masters – Pauper and Peasant. I’m still shocked that Seeker of the Way became a common. Wow.
Ixalan. I’m disappointed that I didn’t even try out Settle the Wreckage, a card that I’ve warmed up to. I’m glad I called Search for Azcanta being good.
Hour of Devastation and Commander 2017. Featuring one of the best “why are you not playing this” cards, Heirloom Blade.
Amonkhet – Odds and Ends and Mechanics.
Modern Masters 2017 – Pauper and Peasant. Dinrova Horror really is a house. Scorched Rusalka too.
2016
Commander 2016 and Conspiracy 2. Missing out on Palace Jailer really taught me to not dismiss cards in “competitive slots.”
2015
2014
Journey to Nyx – I found Dictate of Heliod to be good in testing but unfortunately taught me some lessons in terms of cards making the final 40 (and how this usually didn’t.)
Of note: SCG’s older articles have no commas. No idea why, but some articles read oddly because of this.
2013
2012
10 Return to Ravnica cards – only 10 were covered because the editor at the time, Lauren Lee, asked Justin Parnell and I to split the review.
Avacyn Restored – Red, Blue and others – another one where Justin and I were asked to split the review.