The magical Wild West-themed Magic: The Gathering set called Outlaws of Thunder Junction is packed with high-rarity cards, and we’ve got the best from the main set that you should prioritize playing within the Draft and Sealed Limited format.
Magic-slinging characters from the MTG Multiverse have descended into the Limited format through Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ). The Standard-legal set is packed with extra cards, from The Big Score and Special Guest cards within The List slot to the Breaking News 65-card bonus sheet. Cards from The List (Big Score and Special Guests) are slated to appear in around one in five Play Booster packs, while every pack is guaranteed one Breaking News card. In addition to all these high-powered cards, there are the OTJ main set Rare and Mythic Rare cards, of which several are worth keeping an eye out for when Drafting or cracking packs for Sealed.
Best high-rarity main set Thunder Junction cards for Draft and Sealed
The main set of OTJ contains 60 Rares and 20 Mythic Rares. This doesn’t include high-rarity cards from The Big Score, Special Guests, or the Breaking News Bonus sheet. With so many powerful cards potentially packed within OTJ Play Booster packs, here are my top early picks for best Rare and Mythic Rares from the main set to play in Draft and Sealed.
Honorable mention: Assimilation Aegis
The WU Draft archetype doesn’t stand out as an S-tier color combo to Draft, but I am excited to play with Assimilation Aegis. Costing three mana, 1WU, the Artifact Equipment acts as removal upon entering the battlefield and then turns the card it’s equipped to into the exiled card it removed. The Equip cost is two, which is fair in a set with a bunch of Mercenary tokens and the potential value you can reap is high. Only the archetype itself may hold back Assimilation Aegis.
Railway Brawler
The GW archetype in OTJ Limited is all about creatures with four-plus power, and Railway Brawler slots right into the build. As a finisher, the casting cost of five and two green pips isn’t a concern, and as a bonus, it has a Plot cost of 3G. Within a high-creature deck, Railway Brawler is a great top-end OTJ card that can scale in power quickly while defending against fliers and Trampling your opponent’s creatures for potential lethal damage.
Duelist of the Mind
Duelist of the Mind is your typical MTG card that grants you an upside for drawing multiple cards during a turn. Flying and Vigilance are strong keywords on a two-drop. The Human Advisor can also draw an extra card per turn (including your opponent’s turn) through Committing a Crime, which elevates above other high-rarity cards in the OTJ set.
Akul the Unrepentant
Akul the Unrepentant is a natural Limited bomb as a four-drop 5/5 creature with Flying and Trample. The Dragon Rogue’s casting cost of two Black pips and two Red pips is a slight downfall. But Akul’s ability to put a creature card from your hand to the battlefield at the cost of sacrificing three creatures, which is possible with all the Mercenary tokens generated in OTJ, makes the Dragon a top pick in my opinion.
Colossal Rattlewurm
The OTJ set is packed with powerful creatures like Colossal Rattlewurm. The Wurm stands out thanks to the addition of Common rarity Desert lands within OTJ. If you control a Desert, Colossal Rattlewurm has Flash, in addition to 6/5 baseline stats and Trample. You can even pay 1G to exile it from the graveyard and search your library for a Desert, adding mana value even after the Wurm leaves the battlefield.
Goldvein Hydra
Hydra cards are a personal favorite of mine and I’m excited to try out Goldvein Hydra from the OTJ set. The Mythic Rare has Vigilance, Trample, and Haste, making it a viable option at any stage of a match. Like most Hydras, its power and defense are “X”, where “X” is the mana you put into it. And in a big creature deck, like the GW archetype, it adds even more value to your board through its death trigger.
Double Down
Double Down is the one card in OTJ that has me wanting to build an Outlaw-themed Limited deck. The Enchantment copies any Outlaw spell whenever you cast it, allowing your board to go wide. Double Down’s casting cost is too high for Constructed, but I think it can work within the OTJ Limited format with the right group of Outlaws supporting it.
Dust Animus
Dust Animus is a potential sleeper within the OTJ Limited format. The two-drop Spirit is a solid early-game play with Flying and 2/3 baseline stats. It also has Plot, making it viable and valuable to play later in a match, which synergizes great with the Spirit’s MTG ability. Many in the community are predicting that the OTJ Limited format will be slower than previous Limited formats, raising the value of a card like Dust Animus that can get played for free on turn five with two +1/+1 counters on it and the keyword Lifelink, should you have five untapped MTG lands on the battlefield.
