Rating the Amonkhet Mythics

I think we've seen all the mythic rares from Amonkhet now (there isn't a logical spot remaining unless we're missing a planeswalker, or a multicolor or colorless card), so I'm going to give the 15 mythics some scores.  Each one gets 3 different rankings:

1. Is it Mythic?  Mythic rares, in my opinion, should be cards that have very large or unusual effects, cards that are oozing with flavor and have beautiful art, and cards that you don't want to just throw 4 of in a deck together.  They should not simply be high-power cards for competitive constructed play.  This will receive an overall letter grade.

2. Is it budget?  I'm going to take a stab at which of these end up under $2 during their Standard run for your budget decks.  This will receive a price range estimate.

3. How good is it in Limited?  Mythics run anywhere from mega-bomb to unplayable.  Let's see which ones you really want in your Sealed pool or your draft Pack 1.  This will receive a letter grade.

First, an overview of what we got.  There are 3 planeswalkers, which is about normal.  There is a full cycle of 5 gods, one in each color.  Each color also gets 1 more unthemed mythic (edit - plus one more red card!).  And the last one is a multicolor legend.  I'm going to go through them by group.

Planeswalkers

Gideon of the Trials

1. Planeswalkers are always mythic, and I can't really argue that any planeswalker shouldn't be.  Like most, this one has excellent full art and fits with the story.  The one place where I have a beef with Beefslab is that his third ability, which makes it so that you can't lose as long as you have a Gideon in play, rewards you for playing as many Gideons as possible in your deck.  That means not only does he want to be 4-of, but he wants you to include other mythic Gideons.  Also, the low casting cost makes him more likely to be used in multiples.  I give him an overall B for being Mythic.

2. Planeswalkers are never budget.  Ok, so some are cards that you can afford a couple copies in a budget deck, but not this guy.  I think he'll be $15 - $20, with a chance to be the most expensive card in Amonkhet.

3. Planeswalkers are usually very good in Limited.  The downside of Gideon of the Trials is that when you only have one copy, his third ability doesn't do anything if you lose him.  Mostly I think he's a really annoying lifegain spell with the ability to attack if your opponent has fallen behind on board.  I give him a B+ for Limited.

Liliana, Death's Majesty

1.  Again, she has all the aesthetic traits of a good mythic planeswalker.  Being at 5 mana, she's a lot less likely to fit into any deck as a 4-of.  This is how planeswalkers should be designed -- flashy and splashy.  A for mythic-ness.

2. Since I don't expect her to be included at more than maybe 2 copies in Standard decks, and she is too expensive for other competitive formats at 5 mana, I will peg her at $5 - $10.  Liliana and zombies are both super popular, so even if she isn't great in Standard, people will still want this card more than they want second-tier characters.

3. This is exactly what you want in Limited.  Make a zombie for 2 turns, and then the next turn kill almost everything else?  And that's without even considering the second ability, which is also great.  I will always pick this first in draft.  A+

Nissa, Steward of the Elements

1. Unlike the first two planeswalkers, Nissa brings something new to the table -- she's got an X in her casting cost, and an X for her loyalty.  Notice how they don't have any text to explain it.  We just understand what it means.  The art is fantastic, and overall, this is the pinnacle of what makes a card mythic.  A+

2. Since this card is designed so differently from most, I don't have a good feel for how powerful it is.  You can only get her to "stick" if you spend at least 3 mana, and you get to immediately attack for 10 if you spend 8 mana on her.  Her abilities make her want to be in either creature decks or land decks.  But she's multicolored, which is a little bit of a downside, and she's bad at protecting herself.  I'm going to say $5 - $15 based on the assumption that she will at least be desired by Commander players and people who just think it's a beautiful card, which will boost her floor.

3. Again, I'm puzzled.  Her first ability is ok, her second ability is very swingy, and her third ability is very strong but also makes her an 8-drop or requires you to protect her.  Plus she's two colors.  B- for Limited, possibly worse.

The Gods

  

Since these are all similar to each other, I'm going to rate them as a group and point out the differences where I see them.

1. These are gods.  They have indestructible.  They are legendary.  They have majestic art.  They are oversized for their casting costs, if you can meet the requirements to awaken them.  A

2. It's hard to guess at this point which of these will be the best.  They all play well into the things that their colors like to do.  I would guess that Hazoret is the least popular, although there are a number of cards in Standard now to support the "Heckbent" theme.  I don't think any of them are likely to be 4-of in normal competitive decks (being indestructible and legendary has its downsides), and none of them just scream out to be Modern or Legacy playable.  Commander players will like them ok, but not as commanders so often than as cards to fill other roles their decks want.  My guess is Hazoret $1 - $3, others $4 - $7.  Kefnet could go higher if a control deck using it becomes popular (much like Dragonlord Ojutai did), and it bizarrely also has synergy with landfall and lands that have "enters the battlefield" abilities. 

3. These seem good in Limited, but they aren't all the slam-dunk first picks that easy-to-cast mythic creatures often are.  The exceptions are Oketra and Rhonas, which both turn on easily if you are playing creatures, and that of course is what you are generally doing in Limited.  Oketra and Rhonas: A+.  The other 3: B+ due to requiring more "build-around."

Unthemed Mythics

Angel of Sanctions

1. This is the mythic to showcase the Embalm mechanic.  The art is good, the name is good.  The exile ability is an ability we see on uncommons all the time.  And she's a creature, so even the ability to bring her back doesn't guarantee her ability sticks around for long.  She's cool, but I think she's a rare, not a mythic.  D

2. A creature this expensive with no way to protect itself and an ability that becomes a liability against removal is not a competitive constructed card.  It may not even be a Commander playable card.  This is an easy pick for a budget mythic that may be good enough to try in your budget decks because no one will expect it.  $0.50 - $1.50

3. However, in Limited, this is a mega bomb flier with built-in removal and recursion.  A+

As Foretold

1. This is a mythic ability, for sure.  You get to start casting cards for free every turn, and it lasts for the rest of the game.  It has weird rules interactions, which is another mark of mythic-ness.  The art is pretty, but it could easily appear on a card of any rarity.  But it does show a big story moment -- the sun between the horns of Bolas (demonstrated by the hands) will bring some major consequences in the Amonkhet story.  It's the kind of card you want to use 4 copies of if you use any, but it might be too slow to play in competitive formats.  A-

2. There have been a bunch of weird blue spells at mythic in recent sets, and most are too expensive to cast.  Instead of being expensive to cast, this one is just slow enough that you probably have to wait until turn 5 or 6 before it really starts doing anything.  I have a hard time guessing this one, but it's $1 - $3 if it doesn't hit in any competitive format and over $10 if it does.

3. This kind of effect is very hard to build around in Limited.  You can't play cards that do nothing, and this one probably does nothing.  I would avoid playing it (although I'd draft it if it's worth money).  F

Combat Celebrant

1. This guy is the mythic to showcase the Exert mechanic.  I like the art, but the card text is extremely wordy to get across a relatively simple concept.  As a 3-drop, it can fit in multiple copies, but with only 1 health, I'm not sure he's really good enough for competitive play.  Unless I'm missing something, he doesn't seem to have any major story moment or flavor -- he's just another guy in the Amonkhet trials.  The art and the card both remind me a lot of Lightning Runner, but Lightning Runner was a little cuter with how she incorporated the Relentless Assault ability (you could potentially do it as many times as you had energy for), and she was the first creature ever with haste and double strike.  Combat Celebrant has nothing really special, and he gets a D.

2. I don't think this will see play in any constructed format.  The odd exception is that it combos infinitely with Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, but even then you need an opening to attack.  $0.50 - $1.00

3. A 4/1 for 3 is ok, especially if you just need him to live one turn so he can cast Relentless Assault.  Without the benefit of evasion, surprise, or combat-winning abilities like first or double strike, he really wants you to already be winning on board before he's good.  C

Cruel Reality

1. Here we have an actual story moment card (see the watermark?), plus it's the first ever mythic rare curse.  I'm sure there are some shenanigans you can pull due to it being an aura and not a plain enchantment (Curse of Misfortunes being the most obvious synergy).  It is super expensive, but its effect is also huge.  This card could have been printed at rare, but I think it is special enough to fill the mythic criteria.  B+

2. As a 7-mana enchantment that might not do anything, this card is complete garbage in competitive formats.  Decks trying to cheat enchantments into play have better targets.  It might be seen in some Commander decks, but it loses a little appeal by only affecting one opponent in multiplayer.  $0.50

3. If you can make it work in Limited, it will win you the game eventually (provided your opponent doesn't have a repeat token generator or something).  Can you make it work?  Probably not often enough.  D+

Glorious End

1. I had to throw this one in late because it was just previewed today.  This is a weird card, and yes it is definitely mythic.  A
2. This is the kind of card that would break formats if it was too strong, and I think they are more careful balancing this kind of effect than they used to be.  It seems likely to stay fringy, and I would put it in the $1 - $4 range.
3. The "default mode" is basically Final Fortune -- you cast this on your opponent's upkeep to virtually get an extra turn (during which you have to win the game).  I don't think anyone should be playing this in Limited, but it does give you an edge in very close games.  D-

Vizier of the Menagerie

1. He looks good, but I don't think the art is especially mythic.  Like Grim Flayer, Relentless Dead, and various other recent mythics, I don't feel like he has much story importance, even compared to cards like Combat Celebrant.  He's more of the "world flavor" that can appear at any rarity.  As a vizier, he seems like he should be legendary -- after all, Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons is.  However, the abilities are very weird, and they definitely push him up the scale.  You can do some odd things with this card, like cast a bunch of Ornithopters off the top of your deck, or play a bunch of off-color creatures (including Eldrazi, since it adds any mana type, not color), or partner up with Nissa, Steward of the Elements and Courser of Kruphix to do all of the topdeck things together.  B-

2. If this guy becomes popular in Competitive constructed, it will only be because he's doing something degenerate (like casting all the cards on your deck).  In that case he'll be a 4-of, but I don't expect it.  He's too much mana to use in older formats unless there's a really broken interaction.  I do see him providing fun times in Commander.  $1 - $5

3. In Limited, he draws you extra cards sometimes (every time you see a creature that you'd cast instead of what's already in your hand -- and since it is only a free draw if you cast it, you can be a bit more generous about what you would cast over the cards in your hand), he fixes your mana sometimes, and at worst he's a 3/4 for 3G, which is ok.  B+

Samut, Voice of Dissent

1. Flash, haste.  Surprisingly, not a first -- Raging Kavu did this before either ability had a keyword, and Izzet Staticaster does it too (although in her case it lets her use a tap ability immediately on the opponent's turn).  Double strike, haste.  Lightning Runner is the only other creature to do this.  But the complete mess of abilities -- flash, double strike, vigilance, haste -- is unique and means you can do a lot of things with Samut.  Plus, she gives everything else haste, and the white activated ability is clearly a nod to Commander players.  She's a legendary story character.  I like the art, although it could just as easily be pretty art on a nameless 2/2 common.  A

2. This card looks super powerful, so I expect her to be used at least a little in competitive Standard decks.  But at 5 mana, it limits the number of copies in your deck a bit.  She also cries out to be a Naya commander.  I saw one person comment that they want to use her as a commander for an otherwise white-red angel deck to give access to green for mana ramp, not to mention group haste is a great Commander ability.  And she's just so strong that casual players will love her with oddball synergies like Odric, Lunarch Marshall.  $4 - $9.

3. In Limited, Samut is a bonkers creature who will generally give you a better board than any opponent.  She does trade with any 4/4, but she's a major threat, especially if you can pump her up.  You won't even need white in your deck; just splash her into any deck that has either red or green as a main color.  A

Wrap Up

So what's the best card in each category?

1. Nissa, Steward of the Elements is the most mythic card in Amonkhet.

2. Based on my expectations of card prices, I think the most viable mythics for your budget Standard decks will be Angel of Sanctions and Combat Celebrant.  That said, neither is super exciting to me.  The Angel is probably the better one to just throw into any old deck for value, but it does compete with Cataclysmic Gearhulk, another very good budget mythic.

3. Most of the mythics in this set seem at least playable in Limited, but my pick for best is Liliana, Death's Majesty.  I've played with other cards that give you a creature every turn in Limited, and when you're getting a 2/2 or better, it adds up very fast.  Add that you can access the ultimate ability fairly quickly, and this is a super strong Limited card.  Oketra (which also generates creatures, but smaller and for a cost) and Rhonas are both very strong, too.  Angel of Sanctions is a definite first pick, but not nearly as exciting because it feels more like two strong uncommons stapled together.

What do you think?  Did I misjudge any of these severely?  Are there some good interactions I missed?