The Ultimate Guide to Innistrad Remastered Draft

Bryan Hohns (Veveil) January 24, 2025 Deckbuilding, Draft, Limited, Strategy

Last updated on January 24, 2025

Heartless Summoning | Illustration by Anthony Palumbo

Greetings planeswalkers! The beginning of the year has become synonymous with remastered visits to planes of old. We’ve had our pickings of Dominaria cards in Dominaria Remastered, some cards from our favorite Ravnica sets in 2024’s Ravnica Remastered, and now, it’s Innistrad’s turn.

That’s right, Innistrad Remastered is in stores, so I want to give you everything you need to succeed when drafting this set. I’ve got your comprehensive guide to the set’s mechanics, archetypes, best cards, and more.

Table of Contents show

What Is Innistrad Remastered?

Demonic Taskmaster | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Innistrad Remastered is a sort of “greatest hits” collection from Magic’s seven Innistrad sets. WotC has carefully curated cards from these older sets in order to make a brand new Draft format. There are also a handful of cards in Innistrad Remastered that were never from Innistrad originally, like Hermit Druid, Captivating Vampire, and Through the Breach.

Innistrad Remastered is available for paper MTG and Magic Online, but won’t appear on MTG Arena. As such, it’s a great set to draft with some friends at your Local Game Store (LGS), as you’ll be getting a draft experience like nothing else.

Mechanics

Being a coalition set of sorts, Innistrad Remastered draws all its mechanics from past Innistrad blocks. As you’ve likely played with all these mechanics already, the designers were able to put in several more mechanics than the average set. Let’s review each in brief and highlight their role in the format.

Transforming DFCs

Double-faced cards were actually introduced in the original Innistrad set and have been wildly popular ever since. Transforming DFCs are a particular variant of double-faced card that can transform into another card when some condition is met. Delver of Secrets / Insectile Aberration is a classic example: It starts as a humble Fugitive Wizard, but it can flip into a 1-mana Snapping Drake. Every color in Innistrad Remastered has multiple DFCs, though RG has the most due to its focus on werewolves.

Disturb

Disturb was introduced in Innistrad: Crimson Vow and acts like a kind of flashback of sorts. There are two variations of it: One lets you return the creature into play as a spirit, while the other has it return as an aura. Disturb only appears on four cards in this set and acts mostly as support for the broader WU Spirits archetype.

Meld

Meld is a sweet mechanic that was inspired by the B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster), which was the most popular card from Magic’s first Un-set, Unglued. Cards with meld can fuse with another (specific) card with meld under certain conditions. Graf Rats for example melds with Midnight Scavengers if both are in play at the start of combat, with the two becoming one in Chittering Host.

Meld isn’t a core mechanic in Innistrad Remastered; there are only three meld pairs in the set, and two of them require a pair of rares (or in the case of Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light, one mythic and one rare).

Emerge

Emerge was first introduced in Eldritch Moon and represents the Eldrazi overtaking the native denizens of Innistrad. It’s a strong build-around mechanic, as it can let you cast big value creatures ahead of schedule if everything goes well. It appears on three commons and three rares in this set and helps to support a number of Draft archetypes. All these cards are technically colorless, though their emerge costs are split between blue, black, and green.

Madness

Madness is a powerful mechanic that was introduced all the way back in Odyssey block. Cards with madness may be cast for their madness cost when you discard them rather than simply going to the graveyard. This creates a powerful gameplay loop where you can net advantages by combining normally disadvantageous discard effects with madness cards. It’s a core mechanic for BR Vampires in this set, and it only appears on black cards and red cards.

Escalate

Escalate is a simple kicker-style mechanic that basically lets you pay more of a cost for more effects. That cost is usually mana, though in the case of one card (Collective Brutality) it comes in the form of discarding extra cards. It’s not a central or build-around mechanic by any means, as it appears on just four cards (three of which are red).

Flashback

Flashback is a classic value mechanic that was also introduced in Odyssey, and it’s an ability that lets you recast spells from your graveyard by paying their flashback cost. It appears exclusively on instants and sorceries (excluding Snapcaster Mage) and appears in every color. It can be a build-around mechanic for UR Spells decks, but it’s usually more of a mana sink than anything else.

Investigate

When you “investigate,” you create a Clue token, a colorless artifact token that you can sacrifice for to draw a card. This is a fan favorite mechanic that was introduced in Shadows over Innistrad, and it has seen much use to this day in a variety of sets. Its role in Innistrad Remastered is fairly minor though, as it appears on just Thraben Inspector. Ulvenwald Mysteries, Tireless Tracker, and Tamiyo's Journal.

Blood Tokens

Blood tokens are another “doodad” token that you’ll get from various creatures and spells, similar to Clues. Rather than paying to draw a card, Blood tokens instead let you pay to discard a card, then draw a card, also known as rummaging. This has obvious synergy with madness, so it should come as no surprise that every card that makes (or uses) Blood tokens appears in black or red.

Undying

Undying is a reverse persist that first appeared in the original Innistrad. Creatures with undying only get stronger the first time they die, which can be a shock the first time you see it. It barely appears in Innistrad Remastered though, as you’ll only see it on two commons: Young Wolf and Butcher Ghoul. Both cards do make for great sacrifice fodder, at the very least.

Miracle

Miracle is a controversial mechanic that first appeared in its equally controversial debut set, Avacyn Restored. Like undying, it mostly makes this list by virtue of technicality, as there are just two cards with miracle in this set: Reforge the Soul and Temporal Mastery. Given their rarity and mediocrity in Limited, you can basically forget that this mechanic is even in the set! Just don’t do so if you decide to play one of them, as miracle is notoriously finicky to play with in paper.

Soulbond

INR’s last mechanic is another Avacyn Restored hit, known mostly for its absolute brutality in Limited. Soulbond is yet another mechanic that barely features in Innistrad Remastered, as the only two cards with it are Lightning Mauler (a strong uncommon for aggro decks) and Deadeye Navigator (a durdly rare that is good with creatures you’d want to flicker).

Draft Archetypes

Innistrad Remastered has quite prominent Draft archetypes, especially when compared to other Remastered sets like Ravnica Remastered or Dominaria Remastered. Finding your lane early and reaping the rewards seems to be the way to go in this set.

Let me give you the scoop on each archetype, plus some recommendations for its best cards (particularly at lower rarities). Note that two color pairs (WU and RG) don’t have traditional gold signpost uncommons.

WU Spirits (Tempo/Aggro)

Signpost uncommon: None (Spectral Shepherd is the closest thing)

WU Spirits is a tempo strategy with lots of cheap, annoying fliers. Though it lacks a direct signpost uncommon, there are a fair number of payoffs in this set for focusing on spirits, such as:

Your focus with WU in Innistrad Remastered should be to draft lots of fliers and annoying disruption like Stitched Mangler, Bound by Moonsilver, and Silent Departure. Some of your best commons will be Tower Geist (2-for-1 spirit), Bound by Moonsilver (strong flexible removal), and Battleground Geist for top end.

UB Zombies (Midrange/Control)

Signpost uncommon: Bladestitched Skaab

UB is supposed to be about zombies in Innistrad Remastered draft, and it has a number of strong payoffs for them at uncommon and rare:

The only common that cares about zombies is Crawl from the Cellar though, so this theme won’t always matter for your UB decks. I recommend a “good stuff” approach, with a focus on efficient removal spells and 2-for-1s like Gisa's Bidding and Tower Geist. There are enough zombies in this set that you should be able to leverage the payoffs either way, so prioritize card quality above synergy in this color pair.

BR Vampires/Madness (Midrange)

Signpost uncommon: Bloodtithe Harvester

BR is easily one of the best supported archetypes in Innistrad Remastered. There are two reasons for the this, with the first being a number of direct vampire payoffs like:

The second (and more important) reason though is the strong support for discard and madness gameplay. Olivia's Dragoon, Faithless Looting, Furyblade Vampire, and Lightning Axe should be enough to support the set’s many madness cards. You’ll also have Blood tokens from cards like Bloodtithe Harvester in a pinch, which can provide additional madness support. Prioritize a balance of good madness cards and enablers, while leaving weaker playables like Bloodmad Vampire for later in the draft if possible.

RG Werewolves (Midrange/Aggro)

Signpost uncommon: None (Ulrich's Kindred and Wild Hunger sort of count)

RG is unfortunately the archetype I’m most pessimistic about. While you do have a couple of okay payoffs (Runebound Wolf, Ulrich's Kindred, Howlpack Resurgence, and Moonlight Hunt covers non-rares), RG has been among the weaker archetypes in just about every Innistrad set. I’d mostly want to get into this one to play something like Huntmaster of the Fells or Arlinn Kord and would focus on a generic stompy plan with good card quality. The lack of a real signpost definitely hurts here, as something like Child of the Pack or Kessig Naturalist would’ve helped immensely.

GW Humans/Tokens (Aggro/Midrange)

Signpost uncommon: Join the Dance

GW is a decently supported archetype in Innistrad Remastered. There aren’t many direct human payoffs (just Mayor of Avabruck, Hamlet Captain, and a pair of filler commons), but GW has solid creature quality to make up for this. I also love the return of Travel Preparations, which may as well be GW’s true signpost uncommon. There’s nothing fancy to this archetype, but an efficient creature curve and a couple of Bound by Moonsilvers and Clear Shots can still win games.

WB Attrition/Aristocrats (Midrange/Control)

Signpost uncommon: Fleshtaker

WB Aristocrats is a well-supported archetype with a lot going for it. It has Fleshtaker, Lingering Souls, and a number of great sacrifice outlets to combine with fodder creatures like Thraben Inspector and Butcher Ghoul. This is the best shell for cards like Angelic Purge and Village Rites as well. Aim to draft a strong fix of fodder and cards that leverage it, plus the usual removal/bombs to help you answer threats and go over the top late game.

UR Spells (Tempo/Control)

Signpost uncommon: Wandering Mind

UR spells is a diverse archetype in this set with a fair amount of support. Just like in so many other formats, it’s important to decide which pace of UR you are going for. Generally this means either a lean build with lots of prowess-type creatures and pump spells, or a more controlling build with removal, card advantage, and bombs. For the prowess build, I recommend drafting cards like:

I prefer the bigger version myself though, which wants to draft cards like:

Finding the right balance is key, so try to make sure all your cards are meshing together well! There’s no sense in playing Festival Crasher alongside Spontaneous Mutation and Essence Flux, for example.

BG Morbid (Midrange/Control)

Signpost uncommon: Grizzly Ghoul

“Morbid” is a line that appears on just four cards in this set:

As such you can’t really view this as a “morbid archetype,” at least not consistently. Focus instead of drafting generically strong cards and removal spells for a classic “Rock” gameplan. You can also use this color pair as the basis for a GBx graveyard strategy, built around cards like Spider Spawning and Splinterfright. I’d expect it to be among the weaker archetypes, as it lacks synergy and has one of the weaker signposts.

RW Aggro/Tokens (Aggro)

Signpost uncommon: Markov Waltzer

RW does RW things in this set, continuing its long tradition of turning creatures sideways to attack. This is hardly a bad thing though, as Markov Waltzer is great and there’s plenty of support for attacking in this set. Some commons I really like here include:

You know the drill: Focus on your mana curve first and foremost, while picking up a couple of good removal spells and combat tricks to push your attackers through. I’d mostly want to play this deck for Markov Waltzer, Angelfire Ignition, or if lots of playable 2-drops are going late.

UG Self Mill (Control/Midrange)

Signpost uncommon: Vilespawn Spider

The last archetype is a sluggish one, and it may overlap with BG in practice. This is because the most ambitious self-mill decks will often be three colors, thanks to cards like Spider Spawning, Lingering Souls, and Crawl from the Cellar. Some cards worth prioritizing include:

Eccentric Farmer
Bramble Wurm (premium fattie + great card to mill)
Grapple with the Past
Moldgraf Millipede
Ghoultree
Spider Spawning
Splinterfright
Groundskeeper

In general, this is a very well-supported archetype, so be creative and look for lots of ways to get value out of your graveyard. Be sure to draft mana fixing if needed, with Evolving Wilds, Traveler's Amulet, and Wild-Field Scarecrow being reasonable options for tutoring up an extra basic.

Top Commons

Commons are the lifeblood of any Limited set, and Innistrad Remastered is no exception. I’ve curated my wager for the best four commons from each color, though I wouldn’t be surprised to be wrong on a few of these. This set has quite a bit of synergy compared to something like Foundations, so don’t be surprised if your pick orders vary from draft to draft!

White

White in Innistrad Remastered is largely an aggressive color. It mostly consists of small human creatures, some spirits (best for WU), and two white removal spells (Bound by Moonsilver and Angelic Purge).

#1. Bound by Moonsilver

Safe, no frills removal that even lets you sacrifice something to move it around later. Bound by Moonsilver is fairly efficient and works best against big creatures, especially werewolves. The only two caveats here are that it won’t answer activated abilities (i.e. Reckless Scholar, Olivia Voldaren) and that it provides sacrifice fodder for black opponents.

#2. Thraben Inspector

Thraben Inspector may look innocuous, but cantripping creatures like this are always great in Limited. Being able to develop your board while not having to spend a card is a valuable quality!

#3. Avacynian Priest

Avacynian Priest is a very efficient tapper against most decks, and it works well on both offense and defense. You might want to board it out against GW though, as it’s just a vanilla 1/2 (that is to say, unplayable) against a humans deck.

#4. Dauntless Cathar

Dauntless Cathar brawls well with other early game creatures, as its graveyard ability will put you ahead on trades. This is the safest, most general pick of white’s common 3-drops (the others being Crusader of Odric and Drogskol Shieldmate).

Blue

Blue in Innistrad Remastered is a mixed bag. Most of its cards could best be described as focused on either value or tempo. The main themes that it plays with are zombies, spirits, and self-mill.

#1. Tower Geist

Value creatures for the win! Tower Geist is a simple but effective 2-for-1 that every blue deck will want. It even bins the cards you don’t take and has a useful creature type to boot.

#2. Wretched Gryff

Technically Wretched Gryff would be considered colorless, but the blue emerge cost accounts for much of the card's strength. It’s a fat flier that replaces whatever you sacrifice (both in form and card), and you can even play it pretty early with the right setups.

#3. Stitched Mangler

Decent Frost Lynx variant that combines okay stats with a useful freeze ability. Entering tapped is a drawback, but the freeze ability lessens the need for it to block the turn you play it. It’s best in zombie decks, but a solid playable anywhere.

#4. Think Twice

Think Twice was one of the better commons in Foundations. The key to its strength is that it lets you spend your mana efficiently each turn, while mitigating variance from mana flood/screw. I like one copy in just about any deck and would actively prioritize it if I had self-mill/spell synergies.

Black

Black in Innistrad Remastered is primarily a midrange color. It has two strongly represented themes (sacrifice and madness), and three powerful removal spells at common.

#1. Murderous Compulsion

Discard setups can make this into a 2-for-1 kill spell at common(!), and it’s not like the base mode of Murderous Compulsion is that bad either. This is one of the best madness cards in the set, and well worth building around.

#2. Gisa’s Bidding

Just like Murderous Compulsion, Gisa's Bidding has a good base rate with considerable upside. This was even uncommon in its base set, so I expect great things from it here.

#3. Eaten Alive

Eaten Alive is strong, flexible removal in black that we just played with in Foundations Limited. Ideally, you’ll have fodder cards like Butcher Ghoul and Sanitarium Skeleton for it, but you can also pay if need be.

#4. Village Rites

Good value card that is also a premium morbid enabler. There aren’t too many morbid cards in Innistrad Remastered, but Tragic Slip alone can make the effort worthwhile.

Red

Red in Innistrad Remastered is an aggressive color that's torn between several themes. It has cards for madness, werewolves, and UR spells. Many of these cards do not work particularly well together, so it’s important to know your lane in red.

#1. Abrade

Abrade is an efficient, flexible red removal spell that is desirable for any red deck. It’s one of red’s only commons that I’d want in every archetype.

#2. Alchemist’s Greeting

You’ll need discard outlets (like the next card) for this to do anything impressive, but the power is here for you to build around. Don’t forget about Blood tokens as stealth madness enablers!

#3. Faithless Looting

Faithless Looting is back baby! In Innistrad Remastered, whether you want this card is highly determined by how much madness you have. Suffice to say, there are few better enablers than this one.

#4. Conduit of Storms

This is a generally solid creature that has been downgraded from uncommon to common. The added mana on attack lets you threaten to flip this on your opponent, and it can also be spent on other things during your second main phase.

Green

Green in Innistrad Remastered is a midrange color. It has a nice mix of value and fatties, but it’ll need to rely on other colors for removal (as it only has Duel for Dominance).

#1. Eccentric Farmer

Easy 2-for-1 that blocks reasonably well and provides a bit of self-mill for cards like Bramble Wurm, Moldgraf Millipede, and Spider Spawning. Solid in every deck, and downright premium in any sort of self-mill build.

#2. Bramble Wurm

Bramble Wurm is a big fattie that loves self-mill effects, as binning this essentially draws you a free Chaplain's Blessing. Reach, lifegain when it enters, and high power/toughness make this one of the best ways to stabilize in the entire format.

#3. Spore Crawler

Another clean 2-for-1 that can go in just about any deck. It works great with emerge creatures like Wretched Gryff and It of the Horrid Swarm, but it hardly needs them to be good.

#4. Scorned Villager / Moonscarred Werewolf

The frontside of this card, Scorned Villager, is a reliable 2-drop mana dork that can ramp you into good 4s and 5s earlier. Moonscarred Werewolf is more of a bonus than anything else, though the extra mana and sizing will come up occasionally.

Top Uncommons

The Play booster era has definitely increased the prominence of uncommons in Limited, as you’re guaranteed to open more of them in each pack. With that in mind, I thought it also prudent to rank the best uncommons I saw for each color.

White

White continues its focus on aggression, humans, and spirits at uncommon.

#1. Lingering Souls

If you’re a newer player and haven’t played with Lingering Souls yet, you’re in for a treat. This card is just busted, as you’re getting two fliers for an acceptable rate, then getting two fliers at a discount without using a card. You can even discard or mill this to get the cheaper mode for free!

#2. Ambitious Farmhand / Seasoned Cathar

Ambitious Farmhand is no Lingering Souls, but it’s still a solid value creature for any deck. This helps you hit your land drops early and flips into a relevant creature later.

#3. Fiend Hunter

This iconic creature was the first of many cards like this, though power creep has admittedly left Fiend Hunter behind a little. Still, it’s a strong effect in Limited to this day; just be careful of instant speed removal.

#4. Subjugator Angel

Subjugator Angel plays out like a split card of sorts. The first mode is “, 4/3 flier that lets you push a little damage,” which is acceptable. The second mode is “, you win the game,” which will come up on stalled boards.

Blue

Blue has a lot of cards that want to be built around, which makes it tricky to choose four of its best beyond a couple of obvious standouts.

#1. Mist Raven

I’m happy to see this has been bumped to uncommon, as common Mist Raven would have been miserable. It has the same gameplay loop as Bigfin Bouncer, but it has flying and can target your own stuff if need be.

#2. Compelling Deterrence

Disperse base rate with strong upside if you control a zombie. That isn’t too hard to do in this set, so expect good things from Compelling Deterrence.

#3. Biolume Egg

While it won’t do much of anything on its own, Biolume Egg is incredible with cards like Wretched Gryff, Eaten Alive, and Village Rites. It can also help you find synergy pieces for it to flip thanks to it scrying 2 when it enters.

#4. Cackling Counterpart

Mirror Image is significantly more powerful when it comes with another Mirror Image attached, even if you have to pay . If your deck has some decent nonlegendary creatures and can hit , Cackling Counterpart seems like a solid inclusion.

Black

Black has some great removal spells and several downshifted rares at uncommon, including some sweet ones like Triskaidekaphobia.

#1. Sever the Bloodline

The base rate on Sever the Bloodline is a little expensive but still good, especially since it exiles and can hit multiples. But it’s the flashback mode that makes this so gross, as the first Sever can often buy you time for the second one to bury your opponent.

#2. Infernal Grasp

Being forced to pay 2 life is a minor downside on such an efficient removal spell. You should be happy to take Infernal Grasp early and splash it too, especially if you have any ways to gain life.

#3. Morbid Opportunist

Morbid Opportunist can draw a ton of cards without much effort, and it was one of the best uncommons in Innistrad: Midnight Hunt. It makes combat worse for your opponent and plays great with removal spells like Tragic Slip, Infernal Grasp, and Murderous Compulsion.

#4. Asylum Visitor

This is a much better Blood Scrivener, which you may have just played with in Pioneer Masters. Compared to Blood Scrivener, Asylum Visitor has +1 power and a madness cost, and it works if either player is empty handed. It’s solid on rate, but it’s definitely best in decks that can discard it reliably.

Red

Red’s madness theme feels more prominent at uncommon, with many of its best payoffs and enablers being found here.

#1. Fiery Temper

Reasonable without madness (Open Fire rate but ), but obviously you’re trying to cast “free” Lightning Bolt with this one. The set has the tools for you to accomplish this, so I highly recommend trying to pull it off!

#2. Lightning Axe

Super premium madness enabler that also kills almost anything for just 1 mana. The kicker-style mode mostly comes up late game or if you had a poor draw, though it’s often easier to discard a land rather than pay . Either way, Lightning Axe is strong removal that even sees play in Pioneer to this day.

#3. Savage Alliance

Spread damage is the main appeal to this one, although the trample mode will certainly come up from time to time. Innistrad Remastered has an above average number of x/1s too, so you’ll often be able to pick off cards like Scorned Villager, Ambush Viper, and Blood Petal Celebrant with this.

#4. Stromkirk Occultist

Stromkirk Occultist is efficient enough to have once been rare, and it looks to be a great madness payoff. It’s fragile, but madness plus impulse draw as a saboteur ability often makes it a 2-for-1 or greater.

Green

Green has some nice self-mill support at uncommon, though I’d prefer to pick generically good cards first.

#1. Clear Shot

Clear Shot is an efficient removal spell that “bites” rather than “fights,” and it even comes with a +1/+1 bonus. This means it can occasionally pull off filthy 2-for-1s (win a combat with +1/+1 and pick off something else), but even without those the rate here is excellent.

#2. Pack Guardian

This is one of those flash creatures you should play around blind, as getting blown out by Pack Guardian can be game-losing. That means not running 2/2s into ever, at least not until the coast is clear. Even if you can sniff it out, the raw rate here is phenomenal.

#3. Duskwatch Recruiter / Krallenhorde Howler

Duskwatch Recruiter has some serious Constructed pedigree, as it was a staple in Standard Collected Company decks for years. Its strengths there translate well into Limited excellence too, as Duskwatch Recruiter is a premium mana sink. You’ll usually want to avoid flipping it if you can, though sometimes the discount plus the extra sizing will make for amazing upside.

#4. Noose Constrictor

Another highly efficient 2-drop, though Noose Constrictor is a madness enabler rather than a mana sink. Even in decks with few to no madness cards, this brawls so well for its cost that you’ll always be happy to pick and start it.

Strong Rares

Mythics

Archangel Avacyn

The best Avacyn ever printed (for non-EDH formats, at least), Archangel Avacyn is an absolute beating to run into. A Serra Angel with flash that casts kicked Divine Resilience when it enters, then flips into a board sweeper is uh, definitely a card. Just be careful with how you flip this if you can as it’s not always going to be upside (though it often is).

Gisela, the Broken Blade

Gisela, the Broken Blade is a simple card with really impressive combat stats, and it often amounts to “answer me or lose the game” for your opponent. The Brisela, Voice of Nightmares mode won’t come up often as you’ll need this mythic and a specific rare, but by all means try to pull it off if you can!

Jace, Unraveler of Secrets

Not the best planeswalker ever, but this is Limited we’re talking about. Jace, Unraveler of Secrets is still A+. This blue planeswalker can buy time for itself with its -3, draw a ton of cards with its +1, and potentially lock your opponent out of the game with a -8 if you can protect it.

Snapcaster Mage

Tiago Chan is back! Snapcaster Mage isn’t too hard to pull off in Limited, as you’ll just need a fair number of cheap instants and sorceries for it. If you can do so, you are rewarded with a sleek, iconic 2-for-1 that has sadly been (largely) power crept out of Modern.

Bloodline Keeper

Another entry into the “kill it or you lose” series. The original Bat Colony can just pump out flying tokens over and over, so expect to bury your opponents in a short order if your Bloodline Keeper survives. WotC was wise to bump this up from rare to mythic, as Limited players should be happy to see less of this one!

Liliana of the Veil

Liliana of the Veil is a powerhouse in Constructed, but is a bit more mixed in 40-card formats. I quite like it in this format though due to madness, which breaks the symmetry on their +1. You’re also free to cash Liliana in for edicts as well.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord is only good in a deck with lots of vampires. That’s not a big ask in this set though, so I’d be quite interested in building around this. Expect to use its +1s much more than its -3, as there’s no Vein Ripper for Sorin to cheat in (Edgar Markov is the biggest thing available).

The Meathook Massacre

Black is just doing it with mythics in this set, as The Meathook Massacre is yet another filthy bomb rare. It’s a scalable board sweeper that also sticks around to pain and drain your opponent every time either player’s stuff dies. Suffice to say, that’s a pretty incredible card, so give this one the ol’ windmill slam when you open it.

Balefire Dragon

I almost didn’t list Balefire Dragon, as it’s much more fair than many of the other cards so far. Still, if this hits your opponent once, you will win the game, even if you risk it dying to stuff like Eaten Alive and putting you behind on tempo. Try to play it in decks that can ramp to 7 and/or control the game long enough for it to connect.

Mirrorwing Dragon

Mirrorwing Dragon is a well-statted flier with a weird but dangerous ability. If your opponent tries to kill your dragon with a spell like Eaten Alive or Angelic Purge, they’ll end up wrathing their own board. The ability also let’s you go off with pump spells in a fashion reminiscent of Zada, Hedron Grinder.

Craterhoof Behemoth

I wouldn’t put this in just any deck, but if you are rampy enough, Crafterhoof Behemoth is very close to “, you win the game.” Look to play this with as many Scorned Villagers as you can.

Garruk Relentless / Garruk, the Veil-Cursed

The base mode for this planeswalker is a 2/2 Wolf token machine for . It can also flip to a slightly more powerful backside if Garruk can survive a fight, which usually means preying upon a small flier or utility creature. Either way, planeswalkers are good in Limited, and Garruk Relentless is no exception.

Wrenn and Seven

The -3 is the sauce here, as +1 only draws lands and risks decking you out with too many uses (four-card mills add up fast in Limited). The usual best way to play Wrenn and Seven will be to go for two X/X Treefolk tokens, which puts this card well above rate for .

Grimgrin, Corpse-Born

Grimgrin, Corpse-Born is a powerful build-around that only requires some fodder to be good, as each attack will pay for itself. Worst case scenario, you sac something then it dies before attack (beware of Tragic Slip), but in practice the odds are heavily tilted in your favor.

Olivia Voldaren

Generally speaking, Olivia Voldaren either dies or its controller wins the game. It’s a flat-out bomb that exerts incredible control over the board, and it even trumps other bombs directly. Hope you saved a kill spell!

Arlinn Kord / Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon

Not the absolute best planeswalker in the set, but once again, planeswalkers are great in Limited. Expect to mostly alternate a 2/2 Wolf and Lightning Bolt over and over, though Arlinn Kord / Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon’s +1 abilities can be strong when you’re ahead on board.

Sigarda, Host of Herons

The OG Sigarda is the only iteration to have actual hexproof, which means Sigarda, Host of Herons likely won’t be going anywhere once it hits the table. This is a fun and interactive mythic, known for its compelling interactions with your opponent’s face.

The Gitrog Monster

The Gitrog Monster is a big fat frog that generates impressive card velocity. It refunds the lands you sacrifice to it, and the additional land drops mode may even put you ahead on mana relative to where you were. While not the strongest mythic so far, it does enough that I’d be happy to take it early or splash it.

Tamiyo, Field Researcher

You’ll have to splash a third color somehow, but Tamiyo, Field Researcher is well worth the effort. +1 generates strong card advantage off either player’s creatures, while -2 is often “Good game” if you’re ahead on board.

Edgar Markov

Edgar Markov is another card that will require you to splash a third color, though you’re getting an elite vampire payoff for doing so. It’s not nearly as broken here as it is in Commander, but it still makes for an ideal curve topper either way.

Emrakul, the Promised End

Emrakul, the Promised End may still be the best Mindslaver effect ever printed. Trade off some cards early, do a bit of self-mill with cards like Grapple with the Past, then slam Emrakul and watch your opponent’s hopes evaporate. This is an easy candidate for the most powerful card in the set!

Rares

Bruna, the Fading Light

Seven mana is a lot, but a huge flier and an uncounterable resurrection is worth the cost. Brisela, Voice of Nightmares is also a dream worth striving for, though its sister being mythic makes it highly unlikely.

Restoration Angel

Flash, flying, great combat stats, a free Cloudshift, great art… what more could you ask for from a rare? Restoration Angel was so good that even modern versions (i.e., Salvation Swan) are arguably weaker, and that’s after 10 years of power creep!

Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Thalia, Heretic Cathar is an efficient, aggressive creature similar to Imposing Sovereign, but with better combat stats. Very few early game creatures can stand up to it, and future blockers must wait a turn to do so.

Vanquish the Horde

You’ll generally be paying anywhere between 4 to 6 mana for this one, though it’s by no means impossible to play it for less. Sweepers are consistent overperformers in Limited, and this is a very good Wrath of God variant.

Wedding Announcement

If I had to pick one, Wedding Announcement would be my choice for the “best rare to open.” This Standard staple is an absolute beating in Limited, as its only drawback is that it takes a little while for it to get full value. Think of Wedding Announcement as for Glorious Anthem and Hop to It, and you’ll see why it’s so broken!

Docent of Perfection / Final Iteration

You’ll have to untap with Docent of Perfection for it to be good, but the output and base stats are high enough that I don’t mind taking that risk. This punches like a flying elephant and can even make its own aerial army with enough time.

Hullbreaker Horror

Attacking into 7 untapped mana has rarely been so terrifying, as Hullbreaker Horror is an absolute beating of a card! Flash and huge toughness makes this safe to untap with, and doing so often just locks the game up on the spot. Well worth building a ramp/control deck around.

Memory Deluge

Memory Deluge is a strong card draw spell on its own, but the flashback mode is what really puts this one over the top. If you can stay alive long enough to get four cards off this, it’ll be almost impossible to lose a protracted game.

Thing in the Ice / Awoken Horror

Thing in the Ice is an excellent spells payoff that heavily rewards you for having lots of instants and sorceries. It blocks passably early on, then flips into a massive threat that Evacuations as it comes into play. Note that it won’t bounce other horrors, which will come up as Innistrad Remastered has 19 horrors in total.

Invasion of Innistrad / Deluge of the Dead

I wasn’t expecting to see any battles in Innistrad Remastered, so Invasion of Innistrad was a pleasant surprise. It’s essentially a solid universal removal spell with strong upside, as attacking it for Deluge of the Dead can be well worth the effort. I also appreciate how this acts as graveyard hate, which can be very relevant in this format.

Skirsdag High Priest

Strong morbid build-around that loves cheap removal spells, Eaten Alive (it exiles but sacs your own thing), etc. You’ll also need a lot of small creatures for this, but it fits naturally into what most WB decks are doing anyways.

Voldaren Bloodcaster / Bloodbat Summoner

Efficient 2-drop flier that can create quite a few Blood tokens when it sticks around. You don’t need to flip Voldaren Bloodcaster for it to be good, as it’s basically above rate no matter what.

Bedlam Reveler

Another strong spells payoff, Bedlam Reveler works best in decks that can quickly dump their hand. Look to combine it with cards like Faithless Looting, Ancestral Anger, Fiery Temper, etc.

Hanweir Garrison

Two 1/1s tapped and attacking makes this an effective 4/3 with upside, and it’s effectively unbeatable if you don’t have a board somehow. Hanweir Garrison won’t always snowball successfully, but the games where it does will be easy wins.

Zealous Conscripts

Slapping Act of Treason on an expensive 3/3 haste creature makes Zealous Conscripts much better in Limited, as the extra mana is well worth the body.

Hermit Druid

You can’t play your broken Hermit Druid combos here like in Eternal formats, but it’s still a decent card when played fairly. Play it early, and Hermit Druid can draw you multiple cards while providing even more potential value via self-mill.

Mayor of Avabruck / Howlpack Alpha

Mayor of Avabruck is passable as a cheap lord on its own for humans, but Howlpack Alpha is where the card’s real power is. Getting free 2/2s and a 2/2 wolf/werewolf lord for 2 mana is quite the deal.

Tireless Tracker

Premium Limited card that produces game winning card advantage with just a few turns. Always try to sequence Tireless Tracker so that you're getting at least one Clue out of it; turn 5 Tireless Tracker, land drop, “go” is an ideal sequence since you’ll have to crack the Clue immediately.

Unnatural Growth

This green enchantment is a bomb, but only in decks that can hit reliably. That means either being mono-green, or nearly mono-green with a slight splash of another color. I wouldn’t risk drafting it early, but Unnatural Growth is the kind of narrow but powerful card that can table in drafts.

Spell Queller

Spell Queller is an incredibly efficient Mystic Snake variant. Its combat stats are excellent for a creature with such utility, so definitely pick it up if you can. I hated playing against this thing when Collected Company was legal!

Gisa and Geralf

Not the best rate on its own, but it only takes a zombie or two for Gisa and Geralf to feel quite powerful. The self-mill when it enters often means all you’ll have to do is untap with it once to make this a reality, making for a thoroughly above-average card in the right deck.

Huntmaster of the Fells / Ravager of the Fells

Power creep has largely outpaced Huntmaster of the Fells in Constructed formats, but it’s still an excellent Limited card to this day. It starts off as a simple value creature (two bears and 2 life for 4 mana), but it can also be a legitimate threat if Ravager of the Fells comes into the equation. This combination of efficiency, safety, and power makes Huntmaster of the Fells one of the best cards in the set!

Liesa, Forgotten Archangel

Liesa, Forgotten Archangel is a huge, efficient, lifelinking flier that also makes your other creatures pseudo-immortal. This is definitely in the “kill it or you lose” category of rare, so hopefully you’ll have a removal spell to deal with it!

Maelstrom Pulse

Speaking of removal spells, it’s hard to imagine a better one in Limited than Maelstrom Pulse. This gets whatever you need gone at a fair rate, and it can even pick up multiples sometimes if you’re lucky. Be careful you don't snipe your own permanents in mirror-matches.

Angelfire Ignition

Getting to use Angelfire Ignition twice makes it hard to beat, as this is impossible to race and difficult to defend against. Limited opponents will rarely have enough removal to punish this, and I fully expect it to be one of the best rares in the set.

Elder Deep-Fiend

Elder Deep-Fiend is a deadly emerge payoff that can often Time Walk your opponent, either by tapping their mana or all their creatures. It works best when you can set up convenient sacrifices for it with cards like Butcher Ghoul and Spore Crawler.

Decimator of the Provinces

Craterhoof Behemoth isn't actually in the draftable set, but Craterhoof’s twisted little brother can be a bomb in the right deck, though it does require a lot of setup to get there. Try to play as many good cheap creatures as you can, since you’ll want fodder for this and some other creatures to win on the spot.

Stitcher’s Graft

Quite the efficient piece of equipment, though it does come with two relevant drawbacks. It’s worth the risk though, as +3/+3 is such absurd sizing for this cost. I recommend pairing it with creatures like Young Wolf, Butcher Ghoul, and Desperate Farmer, as it really likes disposable creatures and lifelink.

Westvale Abbey / Ormendahl, Profane Prince

Our final rare is an incredibly powerful utility land, and one of the few we’ve seen that can directly win games. Flipping into Ormendahl, Profane Prince is definitely risky, but Westvale Abbey can do some of the setup by itself in a protracted game. It also helps that this can go in any deck with almost zero opportunity cost, so definitely p1p1 it when you can!

Wrap Up

Shrill Howler | Illustration by Matt Stewart

And with that, we have come to the close of our guide to Innistrad Remastered! I get a distinct feeling this set may be overshadowed by Aetherdrift, though that's a bit of a shame. This looks to be the best Remastered set yet, so definitely give it a try if you're a fan of Innistrad.

Which archetypes are you hoping to play in Innistrad Remastered Draft? Which cards are you looking forward to playing, either again or for the first time? Let me know in the comments below or over on the Draftsim Discord.

Until next time, may your LGS drafts always fire!

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Bryan Hohns (Veveil)

Bryan "Veveil" Hohns has been playing Magic since 2013, and plays several formats while preferring Limited whenever possible. He can be found grinding away in yet another Draft League, which he probably happens to be streaming at this very moment! You can book Bryan for coaching directly on Metafy.