Read the Bones – Theros +
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.13
Multiplayer: 3.25
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Mono-black control was a major player in Theros Standard, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel got most of the headlines. But a big part of the deck’s success was actually because of Read the Bones. The level of consistency it provides for three mana is hard to top; maybe very fast formats or decks will find it too slow compared to blue’s one-mana cantrips, but a lot of those latter cards are actually broken, so if you have to escalate that much for the notioriously risk-averse Magic community to pick it over a version that makes the caster lose two life, it’s quite a compliment. Even today, you’ll likely find that it can stealthily become the best card in any random deck or even cube, and there is almost no bad time in the game to cast it.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
An oldie, but a goodie of sorts. Read the Bones is a bit of a twist on the “draw 2 lose 2” deal that black sometimes plays with, trading one more mana for the ability to scry. Only demanding one black pip means this is a flexible way to dig deeper and get more information, and while it can’t guarantee your draws will be good, it can help smooth them out. Cards like these are good “glue” cards that help decks function, and while this has never broken into Modern and the like, it was a solid part of Standard.
Keep in mind that, while Read the Bones is in the Foundations Jumpstart product, it’s not in the main set, so it’s not returning to Standard.
Constructed: 3.5 (can work in Pioneer, but hasn’t held up as well since leaving Standard)
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.25
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
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