Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ) Limited Primer — Red

Note: This article was translated from Chinese by AI and may contain errors. Read the original Chinese version.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ) will hold its prerelease events on April 12, 2024, and officially launch one week later on April 19, 2024. Want to learn more about single-card ratings in Limited and some potentially fun pairings? Then check out this OTJ Limited primer series!

For the mechanics, see this article: Outlaws of Thunder Junction Mechanics Breakdown

Rating Scale

5.0: Must-take, unconditionally
4.0: Worth a first pick
3.5: Strong enough, but not necessarily a first pick
3.0: Above average (you’ll really want it in your final deck)
2.5: Average, maybe around the 6th or 7th pick in a draft
2.0-1.0: Below average (you’d rather not play it than play it)
0.5-0.0: Unplayable (basically never play it; it will only help you lose)

Red

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

Fits the red-blue second-spell theme and you can meet the condition through plot, but I don’t think the payoff is very high. I wouldn’t pick this as my primary archetype card.

T1BloodMoon: 4.5

It can attack the turn it enters and bring a second attacker along, and the saddle cost isn’t high either. Once it lands, it puts enormous pressure on your opponent.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

This set has a huge number of creatures with toughness 2 or less (66 of them), and 69 outlaws. A very nice instant-speed way to clear the board. Note that after picking this up, you may want to check whether your creature base leans toward outlaws or non-outlaws.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

A two-drop haste creature of good quality. Mid to late game it can bring another creature along: it enters and both attack with haste right away, giving your opponent unexpected damage pressure.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

This set has quite a few 1-2 power flyers early on, and this blocks them very effectively. If your deck is built around committing crimes, triggering it every turn makes it worth even more.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

An Aura that pumps and grants trample, doesn’t cost you a card when it goes to the graveyard, and has no drawbacks (such as being unable to block). A great Aura.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

Usually used to fill out a basic two-drop curve.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

Flexible removal. Only about 20 creatures, roughly 1 in 8, have toughness above 4 and survive it. Being instant speed gives great timing, and considering the Big Score (BIG) bonus sheet has many powerful artifacts, its value goes up even further.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

An extremely strong enchantment for aggressive creature decks. It applies damage pressure early, and even if you get swept late, any creature you draw afterwards keeps up the pressure. If it resolves, your opponent is in for a headache.

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

Being able to filter a card as a Mount is a nice ability, but the body can’t come out ahead in trades. You’ll probably often be unable to attack with it, or it’ll die after filtering only one card, so I rate it low.

T1BloodMoon: 3.5

Fits both go-wide and crime decks. Very flexible at instant speed, and late in the game it can serve as a finisher.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

A sorcery-speed removal spell that gets stronger the later the game goes, but it isn’t something I’d take first.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

Its best tempo is being cast on turn 3 after a 1-drop and 2-drop. In addition, the 1/1 tokens in this set are outlaws too, which lowers its expected cost. A big creature that can sometimes be cast for just one mana is pretty good in this format.

T1BloodMoon: 3.5

It has go-wide, outlaw synergy and haste all in one: creatures that enter can immediately get a boost and apply pressure to your opponent. Undeniably a strong card.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

Early on it’s discard one, draw two, and late game when you’re flooded it turns one land into two cards. The plot ability fits better with the red-blue second-spell theme.

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

It always triggers on entering, but without plot support early on it’s hard to use the exiled card after casting this. Unless you need it for your curve, I wouldn’t consider it for my deck.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

A 4/5 with reach and a solid body, and its ability fits the red-blue archetype and the crime theme well.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

Plot is expensive here. Skipping a turn on 4 mana to deal only 2 isn’t strong enough. Casting it as a three-drop might be a bit better, but only a bit. If your opponent doesn’t have many flyers, it’s just a vanilla creature.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

A standard two-mana 2/2 that makes a Treasure when you commit a crime. If you don’t spend the Treasures, you can use them to call down a flying haste Dragon. A staple card in crime decks.

T1BloodMoon: 1.0

It hits you too when you do it yourself. Ouch.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

Think of it as a two-mana 3/2 with trample. It makes a Treasure on entering with an easy condition. A pretty good card.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

A quality way to grow a creature, and if you’re playing an outlaw deck you can gain cards as well. It can also be used simply as a combat trick or as a loot effect.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

Brings a buddy when it enters, for two outlaws total. Plainly, simply strong.

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

A rather unusual combat trick that can suddenly make your opponent’s creature lose a trade.

Flash card draw

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

A very expensive mount. Creature for filling out the curve.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

It has first strike, but it probably needs the pump from the 1/1 tokens to trade well.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

Haste at two mana and trample at three. A strong one.

Beep-beep bird

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

It copies a spell without having to target your own, so you can sometimes trade small for big. A very flexible card to use.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

No surprise, this is a card for the red-blue second-spell theme.

T1BloodMoon: 3.0

A four-power creature on turn 3 or 4, and attacking brings a 3/1. With the right tempo it’s extremely strong. Remember that the +1 power from the 1/1 Mercenary can go onto this, and attacking triggers it, so meeting the condition is fairly easy.

T1BloodMoon: 3.5

Without a doubt the most brutal removal in red. Only four creatures in this set are outside its burn range.

T1BloodMoon: 2.5

An aggressive flyer, but it’s relatively hard to reliably get +2/+0.

T1BloodMoon: 3.5

If you’re a red-based deck you shed cards from your hand relatively fast, so this card has a great body. In Limited you’ll have around four cards in hand by turn 4, so a four-mana 3/3 flying trampler is pretty good.

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

With instant speed it can catch a creature and turn it into a 2-for-1 block, but it’s unlikely you can cast it on turn 3 and still trigger crime.

T1BloodMoon: 5.0

As long as it lands, unless it’s removed it’s very likely your opponent just goes down.

T1BloodMoon: 1.5

A basic two-mana 2-power. It’s an instant, but raising the damage on your opponent’s turn is relatively difficult, and on your own turn it’s effectively a sorcery that can only hit creatures. Not strong enough.

T1BloodMoon: 2.0

Six damage for five mana, and the two points can only hit tokens. Not good enough.

I think two mana for 5 damage was just too outrageous

Conclusion

Why does red look so absurdly strong again? Is this going to be another set where it gets knocked sideways? orz

There are 37 red cards in total this time

• Average score: 2.5
• Highest score: 5.0
• Lowest score: 1.0