Free Alternatives to LSV’s Set Reviews

Last updated on January 28, 2023

Board the Weatherlight | Illustration by Tyler Jacobson

If you play MTG, you’ll almost definitely have heard the name LSV. That’s Luis Scott-Vargas for you guys and gals who’re hearing the name for the first time. He’s in the Magic hall of fame, is one of three players who’ve achieved three ProTour top 8s in a row, and an all-out extraordinary player. Not only in Standard but across the board of competitive formats. He also helped launch Channel Fireball, writes strategic articles, is a game developer, and hosts several podcasts.

It comes as no surprise that with a resume like his combined with his twenty years of hard-earned knowledge, that the set reviews he writes for Channel Fireball are highly anticipated pieces of content protein to many a Magic player who plays Limited and Standard. They’re great tools to better yourself and get to know the cards of a new format.

But with Channel Fireball’s new pay-for-content plan they’ve put up to help get them through the pandemic, those articles have been put behind a paywall. If you have the means to support them, feel free to do so! But if you, like many others, have to prioritize where you spend money right now, I feel your struggle and am going to help you out.

We’ll be covering a ton of alternatives for LSV’s set reviews, both the Limited and Constructed versions, right here. I’ll also throw in a bunch of other great places for you to get fun, high-quality MTG content. That way you can stay on top of your game across the board.

Time to cast-off. Destination: set review (and other MTG) content!

Free Limited Set Reviews

Weatherlight | Illustration by Jaime Jones

There are a ton of options where you can get some great Limited set reviews. Let’s run down your options.

Draftsim

First off: Draftsim. That’s us! We pride ourselves on always being the first to have a card-by-card tier list for new sets for our draft simulator. You can also see all the pick orders and then practice immediately with the set you want to draft. These ratings can also be found inside Arena Tutor, a great help for when you’re drafting on MTG Arena.

And for Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, we actually wrote our own Limited set review right here and Standard/Constructed set review here! We did the same for Crimson Vow Limited and Constructed, Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Limited, Streets of New Capenna Limited, Dominaria United Limited, and The Brothers' War.

Every single card is covered and rated, and best of all, it's completely free.

Limited Resources Podcast

A perfect translation of LSV’s Limited set reviews can be found in the podcast he does with Marshall Sutcliffe: Limited Resources. They go over every card not too long after all the spoilers have been revealed, very similar to what LSV does in his articles. It’s fun, it’s informative, and they go back to make adjustments based on how good the cards actually are after the set has been out for a while.

MTGNerdGirl

Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain | Illustration by Brad Rigney

MTGNerdGirl at CoolStuffInc provides a great Limited set review for you to freely browse. They’re well-written and informative and I like the layout of the articles. The rating system is similar to LSV’s set reviews which I also like a lot.

The Lords of Limited Podcast

Ben Werne and Ethan Saks are The Lords of Limited, a podcast that covers all things Limited all the name implies. Their Crash Course episodes deal with everything you need to get your ready for drafting the newest set. The other episodes deal with the many other aspects of Limited.

Deathsie

Deathsie is a Limited specialist and his draft tier lists are an unconventional and academic approach to the format. I’m a big fan of the layout and his rating system. His lists are easy to browse and informative, too. If you’re not a fan of scrolling through every card but just want the name, color, and rating of the card, this is the place for you.

Alex Nikolic

Alex Nikolic has not only written Limited content for Draftsim in the past but has since been writing for the aforementioned Channel Fireball. Although his articles are locked behind CFB Pro, he has a great podcast and an informative Twitter account.

Free Constructed Set Reviews

Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Constructed content can be found all over the place just like Limited content. Here are a bunch of quality platforms for you to check out.

Constructed Resources Podcast

LSV teams up with Andrew Baeckstrom on the Constructed Resources podcast. Another fantastic place to get all kinds of high-quality Constructed content. Mix that in with LSV’s signature humor and BK’s spicy remarks and you’ve got some great entertainment.

IamActuallyLvl1

IamActuallyLvL1 deals with all things Vintage including insightful set reviews and what impact they’ll have on the format. You can watch him stream too and dive even deeper into the wonderful world of Vintage.

Arena Decklists Podcast

Gerry Thompson and Bryan Gottlieb are the Arena Decklists podcast crew. They mostly focus on Standard, but dabble in all constructed formats and even a little Limited. Their insightful views and informative guides are sure to help you improve at MTG in general.

Every set, they cover some version of their “Top 10,” which reviews the 10 best cards for constructed in the set.

Ali Aintrazi

Ali Aintrazi’s Standard set reviews are a great guide to help you find your feet through the ever-changing environment of Standard. The rest of his content includes some great videos of him trying out various decks in the newest Standard settings.

The Other Best Free MTG Content Options: Podcasts and Channels

Gerrard Capashen | Illustration by Brom

Now that you’ve got your dose of insightful and constructive alternatives to LSV’s set reviews, it’s time to dive into other awesome content across different platforms. These will at least entertain the hell out of you if not help you become a better player. Let’s go!

Magic FM Podcast

Gaby Spartz and Mashi Scanlan host the Magic FM podcast where they discuss various topics from bannings and MTG ethics to different formats and WOTC policies. I like their open-minded approach, trying to see topics from different angles and find solutions wherever possible.

Vintage Super League

One of my all-time favorite MTG leagues to watch was the Vintage Super League (VSL) created by Randy Buehler. Famous Vintage players battled it out against one-another in matches that always seemed epic. The VSL branched out to different formats over the years, so there’s something for you on there no matter what you prefer.

Good Luck High Five

Maria Bartholdi and Meghan Wolff are Good Luck High Five and I’ve loved these ladies since Magic: the Amateuring. The way they interact with each other and deal with topics for new players, players who like to sling spells at the kitchen table, Arena buffs, or competition lovers is just downright fun not to mention informative.

The Masters of Modern Podcast

Alex Kessler, Ben Bateman, and Michael Grothe host the MM podcast. They deal with all things Modern and everything in between. Whether it be deck techs, new set releases, archetypes, or predictions, you’ll find it here!

LoadingReadyRun

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain | Illustration by Anna Steinbauer

LoadingReadyRun have been known for all kinds of different content covering a vast variety of games, but they’re very well known for their MTG content and you’ll find all of that in this cool podcast.

The Command Zone

Jimmy Wong and Josh Lee Kwai are behind the awesome The Command Zone podcast and YouTube channel. They provide awesome insight and great videos on all things Commander (and more) without losing the best part of the game: fun.

Tolarian Community College

The Professor teaches all things MTG at Tolarian Community College. His quirky take on a great variety of formats, products, cards, decklists, and interviews with well-known Magic personalities gives his channel a distinct feel and is always entertaining.

Twitch Streamers

There’s also a few of Twitch channels that I want to mention that you should check out:

• Gaby Spartz
• reiderrabbit (Reid Duke)
• HueyWJ (Huey Jensen)
• NumotTheNummy (Kenji Egashira)
• calebdmtg (Caleb Durward)
• HAUMPH (Paul Cheon)

All of them stream regularly, except HAUMPH. He now works for WotC but his streams are legendary. You’ll even find people referring to him every now and again with love and respect, so watch his content for sure.

Feel free to browse this list and find the voice that represents your favorite way to enjoy MTG. For me it happens to be all of them either by personality, what they stand for, the entertainment they provide, or a combination of three.

Drop the Mic

Captain Sisay | Illustration by Ray Lago

There you have it, a list of fantastic free Limited, Constructed, and a variety of other MTG content to dig your teeth into! You’re sure to stay informed, up-to-date, and entertained on all things happening in our Magic universe. Use them to improve your game, knowledge, mind, and laugh muscles, because they all offer combinations if not all of these!

Next to these great content creators, you can always count on Draftsim. Our content won’t disappear behind a paywall. We’re all about great, free content and we’ve got your back.

Speaking of, if you want a “set review inside your software,” try out Arena Tutor. It gives you card ratings right inside MTGA while you're drafting!

As always, feel free to head on over to our blog if you want to read more awesome stuff. If you like our content and want to show your support, our Patreon is always open. We greatly appreciate your support!

That’s all for now. Stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll see you in the next one!