The Hour of Devastation full preview is available. With the ban of Marvel, it makes a new Standard really open to deckbuilding and new ideas. But this new set has also good cards for Modern decks.

These are the top 10 cards I would like to use for constructed decks in Modern or Standard.

10.《Ramunap Hydra》

《Woodland Wanderer》 saw play before just because it could be a 6/6 for 4. 《Ramunap Hydra》 can only be a 5/5 but it has reach in addition to vigilance and trample. In the right deck that has a way to get a desert in the graveyard, it will be the perfect answer to 《Glorybringer》. For this you can use 《Collective Brutality》, 《Tormenting Voice》, 《Noose Constrictor》 or 《Lightning Axe》. Having trample can also be great and very annoying for planeswalkers like 《Gideon, Ally of Zendikar》.

9.《Crested Sunmare》

In the old Standard format, with a metagame full of midrange, 《Wingmate Roc》 was great. Having multiple big bodies on a single card is all time value and a good win condition. We have a lot of way to gain life with white cards like 《Aethersphere Harvester》, 《Glory-Bound Initiate》 or 《Sunscourge Champion》. Indestructible 5/5 tokens are great and can dodge both 《Fatal Push》 and 《Grasp of Darkness》.

8.《Abrade》

Having choice is always great for magic cards. It makes the card useful in multiple situations. 《Cryptic Command》 and 《Kolaghan's Command》 are great in Modern and players like these modal cards a lot. 《Abrade》 is just removal but it can deal both with 3 toughness creatures but also all Gearhulks, 《Heart of Kiran》 or other vehicles. Having a main deck shatter which can do something else is great.

7.《Scavenger Grounds》

《Scavenger Grounds》 is a Waste who have the 2nd effect of 《Relic of Progenitus》. You can search for it with 《Expedition Map》. I can imagine Eldrazi decks including it in Modern and decrease the number of relics maindeck ( which is not great with 4 《Chalice of the Void》) for other cards.

6.《Hour of Promise》

What is generally bad with a ramp spell is it doesn’t interact with your opponent’s game plan and he could be faster and not giving you the time to cast your expensive spells. In a desert deck 《Hour of Promise》 is making blockers who can buy you time and this changes everything.

Also, in late game when you are full of land it is much better than a random ramp spell. The ability to search any land and not only basics makes it great and you can think about a tool box with utility lands. Think of it as a tiny 《Primeval Titan》.

5.《Hour of Revelation》

In 2015 Ivan Floch won a Pro Tour with a UW control deck with 《Planar Cleansing》. We have waited a long time for a card like this. It can deal with almost any kind of threat. In the old time 《Wrath of God》 was a good card, this is because aggressive decks play only creatures. Now they play vehicles and planeswalkers. There is not a lot of cards which can get you back from a board like this one:

You can play it with 《Gideon of the Trials》 or 《Gideon, Ally of Zendikar》 and activate there second ability to give it indestructible before destroying everything. You just have to be vary of 《Archangel Avacyn》 who will annihilate your plans.

4.《Hour of Devastation》

《Hour of Devastation》 is another anti-Gideon card. But it also deals with Gods (fortunately it was not available in Theros and I could use Thassa, god of the sea safely). Also, cards like 《Archangel Avacyn》, 《Spell Queller》 and 《Selfless Spirit》 can’t prevent or counter it.

3.《Claim+Fame》

In Modern we have a lot of good creatures for 1 or 2 mana. I imagine this card be play to get back a 《Death's Shadow》 and give it haste with the flashback. It increases the power of 《Liliana, the Last Hope》 or 《Thought Scour》 who can put it in the graveyard and give you a value “Fame” effect later, or it can put a 《Death's Shadow》 you can get back with “Claim”. The card could also be played in a 《Tarmogoyf》 deck or with 《Grim Flayer》 who can help put “Fame”in the graveyard.

2.《Liliana’s Defeat》

It is only a sideboard card, but what a card. 《Dark Betrayal》 was never played in Modern but here it is different. 《Liliana’s Defeat》 deals with Black Planswalker and this is not a small detail. Against Grixis Death Shadow decks it kills 《Tasigur, the Golden Fang》 , 《Gurmag Angler》, 《Street Wraith》, 《Death's Shadow》 and 《Liliana, the Last Hope》 or 《Liliana of the Veil》.

Against BG decks it kills 《Dark Confidant》, 《Grim Flayer》, 《Siege Rhino》, 《Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet》 and 《Liliana of the Veil》. Also, the 3 damage is a great addition if you get a Liliana with it, it can make all the difference against for example a death’s shadow deck.

1.《Sunscourge Champion》

This is my favorite creature card from Hour of Devastation. It is like a 《Kitchen Finks》, 《Sunscourge Champion》in that it has 2 lives. His eternalize mana cost is great because it can be paid the turn after you play it, this means you can block with it easily. The card just gives you an additional 6 life points. His upfront mana cost is also easier to cast than a 《Kitchen Finks》 and it’s a good win condition. Also, with 3 toughness, it’s a better blocker which can dodge 《Magma Spray》.

I hope you all will enjoy Hour of Devastation a lot.

Thank you for reading