Rounding out the currently available War sets is Divine Order! There are several theme enablers in this set that have become quite popular, but the vast majority of War's cards remain largely affordable. So, with all that in mind, @jungleboy1 and I present you the December 2021 War break down for the Divine Order set!

WAR — Divine Order Set

Anagreos, Daemon Prince

Strangely, this demonic prince tops the chart for Mythic win rate, but its play rates are deep in the bottom half of the set. This suggests that some players may be propping up his win rate with successful decks that end matches before 9 mana is even unlocked. Having the lowest price among Divine Order legendaries further supports this suspicion.

That said, a Control War deck would be well-suited to a 12-Strength Godblitz monstrosity that closes out matches when he hits the board.

All

• Play Rate — 0.2%
• Win Rate — 56.8%
• Games Played — 9,458

Mythic

• Play Rate — 2.3%
• Win Rate — 60.1%
• Games Played — 4,927

Price — $6.51

Another Round!

With excellent play/win rates, the appeal of a persistent source of Creature Ramp is plain to see. Functioning as spot removal that immediately boosts your hand, this spell lands at the perfect mana cost to prep a 5/6-cost creature you'd like to follow-up with. Even with the highest price among Divine Order rares, its still highly affordable.

All

• Play Rate — 8.1%
• Win Rate — 56.4%
• Games Played — 259,341

Mythic

• Play Rate — 44.9%
• Win Rate — 54%
• Games Played — 95,535

Price — $0.96

Archangel Bruiser

I've talked extensively about this epitome of War, so I'll try to sum it all up in one place:

• Has 5 Strength and Blitz for a hefty threat range that is easily increased
• Gains Overkill if you line up an attack prior to deploying her
• Has just enough health to survive picking off a 1/X or 2/X for splash damage.

Even though her win rates aren't the best in the set, her play rates are undeniable. Even with a price tag closer to the rare range for the set, she's still incredibly affordable. If you don't have 2x copies of this warrior angel, you're missing out.

All

• Play Rate — 14.2%
• Win Rate — 56.3%
• Games Played — 456,823

Mythic

• Play Rate — 74.4%
• Win Rate — 54.3%
• Games Played — 158,216

Price — $0.53

Bar Fight

With an effect that overlaps Auric Rush, the only difference is the ability to avoid friendly fire if used while Frenzied. The question is: Does war need an extra point of AoE damage over another creature or relic? Win rates suggest it's not making waves, and the play rates support the notion that, unfortunately, this isn't turning any heads.

All

• Play Rate — 1.5%
• Win Rate — 50.9%
• Games Played — 47,324

Mythic

• Play Rate — 4.3%
• Win Rate — 49.3%
• Games Played — 9,068

Price — $0.06

Battle Artisan

A decent number of players are attempting to incorporate this free source of random relics, but the win rates fail to support the theoretical value of the ability. The end result is a middling card with an equally middling price tag. For 3 mana, it may simply be better to play a Godblitz relic, directly.

All

• Play Rate — 3.7%
• Win Rate — 53.8%
• Games Played — 119,562

Mythic

• Play Rate — 11.6%
• Win Rate — 50.7%
• Games Played — 24,681

Price — $0.31

Caged Berserker

In theory, holding him prisoner from turn 1 on would net you an 11/11 on turn 4 with a mana gem. The problem is, he's a prime target for the removal that become available in the 4-6 mana range. As such, it's no surprise that play rates are low and win rates drop significantly in Mythic play. There's certainly potential as a cost-efficient stat monster, but raw stats at 5 mana has a lot to compete with in War decks.

All

• Play Rate — 1.2%
• Win Rate — 48.9%
• Games Played — 37,287

Mythic

• Play Rate — 1.4%
• Win Rate — 39.1%
• Games Played — 3,024

Price — $0.12

Chieftain of Impulse

His ability represents a serious threat, but the extra +2 Strength is likely why the cost has been pushed out of viability. By the time the chieftain is entering play, many other stronger threats are ready to greet him. Just consider Archangel Bruiser which is only 4 mana with 1 less Strength. If you want to capitalize on the ability to grant other units Blitz, it doesn't make sense to use his own Blitz to smash something unless you know he'll live.

Unsurprisingly, play rates are extremely low, and win rates are subpar. The price reflects the general disinterest, but I'd argue the price is undervalued relative to the long-term.

All

• Play Rate — 0.6%
• Win Rate — 49.5%
• Games Played — 20,242

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.5%
• Win Rate — 43.3%
• Games Played — 1,117

Price — $0.12

Echoing Fury

In theory, Blessed plus a potential 1:2 trade through Twin Strike sounds nice, but War tends to prefer aggressive 1-cost creatures or direct damage. That said, Vicious Rend (Deal 3 to a damaged Character) sees play, yet Echoing Fury is capable of outperforming it. If you grant Twin Strike to a creature with 3+ Strength, you'll gain more from this spell if you kill something and survive for the second (face) attack. Blessed is an added bonus, and the Twin Strike is permanent.

Oddly enough, play rates show general disinterest, and Mythic win rates suggest only the players will be furious when using this spell. I'd argue that this is the kind of card you'd want to mulligan out of your starting hand to allow it to appear later in the game where it's value increases relative to the Strength of your creatures. If, for example, you spent 5 mana on a "Furious" Archangel Bruiser, you could shell out 10 splash damage in short order. In my opinion, this card's price is moderately undervalued.

All

• Play Rate — 1%
• Win Rate — 46.8%
• Games Played — 31,111

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.5%
• Win Rate — 37.4%
• Games Played — 1,157

Price — $0.05

Einar, the Frozen King

With how popular this Viking royalty originally was, the numbers don't appear to have finished settling after his recent changes. Play/win rates are still elevated, but I suspect that play rates will continue to slide in the current meta while win rates might settle around 55% at all levels of play. This is because his previous effectiveness was re-worked to include a major drawback that puts a timer of sorts on the damage source.

The card price has dropped slightly as a result of the changes, but it's hard to tell if the price will continue to slump or fluctuate as new players see an opportunity to pick up Einar "on the cheap".

All

• Play Rate — 2.1%
• Win Rate — 59.6%
• Games Played — 67,593

Mythic

• Play Rate — 17.4%
• Win Rate — 59.5%
• Games Played — 37,027

Price — $11.18

Enraging Talisman

The implications of this relic are huge in ideal conditions, but it's too slow to be practical without Blitz. Landing on turn 3 at the earliest, you're hoping that your opponent will have creatures you can attack that are safe enough to leave alive. You're also hoping that after pumping your creatures, your opponent won't be able to suicide into them to prevent you from capitalizing on the Strength boost.

Unfortunately, play/win rates make it quite clear that this slow strategy is both unpopular and ineffective at all levels of play. While normally I'd believe the price is undervalued, it's hard to argue that this relic is worth acquiring for reasons other than completing your collection.

All

• Play Rate — 0.3%
• Win Rate — 45.5%
• Games Played — 8,939

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.1%
• Win Rate — 32.2%
• Games Played — 264

Price — $0.12

Grand Hall

Speaking of speed, this Structure hits the board with immediate effects that play into a strong turn rather than pushing all benefits off into the following turn(s). Not only do your creatures receive immediate Strength, your God is also highly likely to be healed during the turn this is deployed. Even though it can't attack, you're gaining an attack buffer in the form of Frontline that gives your newly buffed creatures more time to get in attacks before they can be targeted.

Play/win rates are positive across the board with the price actually seeming quite reasonable given that you're only allowed (and therefore only need) one copy.

All

• Play Rate — 2.2%
• Win Rate — 57.3%
• Games Played — 69,257

Mythic

• Play Rate — 15%
• Win Rate — 58.1%
• Games Played — 31,917

Price — $12.91

Hearts of Bronze

During the armor heyday, bronze hearts were all the rage! Unfortunately, as win rates in Mythic strongly indicate, the long-term value of gaining 1 Armor appears to be short-lived. As a weak form of anti-control or defensive posturing, this spell impacts the board most in the early-game when low-cost creatures lack the Strength to trade equally if Armor is in the mix. Even with poor early trades, most decks in Mythic have options for reclaiming board equality when at a numbers disadvantage. Thus, it seems the the current price is fairly valued.

All

• Play Rate — 4.7%
• Win Rate — 50.5%
• Games Played — 150,675

Mythic

• Play Rate — 4.6%
• Win Rate — 40%
• Games Played — 9,830

Price — $0.08

Inspiring Skald

The logic behind granting Twin Strike to your weakest creature is entirely backwards, but that doesn't mean you can't force the buff onto your strongest creature by ensuring nothing else is in your hand to target. That being said, the play rates imply some players are trying to find a home for this poet while the win rates at all levels suggest the results are average, at best.

Personally, I believe there's value to be had if using this buff in combination with Creature Ramp and/or Blitz creatures. For example, Tartessian Improviser is a strong early deploy that could buff Vanguard Axewoman or Tavern Brawler in your hand. If you drew Inspiring Skald immediately thereafter, she'd be a solid deploy that can take a hit and prepare your buffed Blitz creature to likely trade 1:2 into whatever your opponent deploys.

Being a rare, I believe the current price is slightly undervalued given the potential for highly efficient turns if stronger options like Respected Jarl are currently not in your budget.

All

• Play Rate — 1.1%
• Win Rate — 50.2%
• Games Played — 33,795

Mythic

• Play Rate — 1.4%
• Win Rate — 44.4%
• Games Played — 3,055

Price — $0.13

Looting Squire

Without synergy from Viking (or Olympian) Creature Ramp, you need to be able to kill off 2 or more of your own creatures before deploying this looter in order to gain a creature comparable to something like Battle Aurochs (3/3 Frontline) or Strix Conscript (3/2 with Armor 1). Exceptions to this include being able to cast Call to Arms prior to drawing the squire, as that moves his Health out of threat range for certain forms of removal that penetrate Armor.

Play rates are below average, and win rates strongly indicate that the hassle of correctly timing the deploy isn't worth it when there are other more consistent options available. The current price is likely fairly earned.

All

• Play Rate — 1.9%
• Win Rate — 48.5%
• Games Played — 59,639

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.9%
• Win Rate — 35.2%
• Games Played — 2,014

Price — $0.07

Nokkvi Warrior

If you view this Viking as removal, you're looking at an alternative (or complement) to Vicious Rend that doesn't require the target to be damaged in order to deal 3 damage to it. You need to be Frenzied to trigger her Blitz, but that's relatively easy to do for War.

Play/win rates strongly support an above average interest in running her—the popularity of the Viking theme no doubt helping—while the current price seems fair and affordable.

All

• Play Rate — 7.3%
• Win Rate — 54.5%
• Games Played — 234,518

Mythic

• Play Rate — 32.4%
• Win Rate — 51.4%
• Games Played — 68,970

Price — $0.15

Oddi, Valka's Herald

Boasting the highest cost among Divine Order cards, by far, it's quite clear that both play and win rates at all levels support the effectiveness of this early-game legendary. It also helps that he fits right into Viking decks, as the combination of Backline and Protected can usually only be addressed with targeted non-damage removal.

I want to say that the current price is actually overvalued given how many popular meta decks have reliable forms of removal for countering Oddi, but most legendaries with better rates have a much higher price tag starting in the hundreds of dollars.

All

• Play Rate — 4.8%
• Win Rate — 59.8%
• Games Played — 154,367

Mythic

• Play Rate — 42.6%
• Win Rate — 59.1%
• Games Played — 90,564

Price — $56.25

Rage-Filled Hammer

This hammer is decently popular with middling play rates that suggest this is solid, affordable filler for anyone looking for additional relics, regardless of their deck type. If you have ways of boosting your Relic strength, this will shine most in Control decks where you want to smash creatures in the early-game until an opportunity to deploy your win condition(s) presents itself.

All

• Play Rate — 1.5%
• Win Rate — 52.7%
• Games Played — 48,480

Mythic

• Play Rate — 4.3%
• Win Rate — 49.5%
• Games Played — 9,197

Price — $0.05

Ravenous Chimera

While both moderately popular and successful at all levels of play, I'd suggest the only reason for this is the ability to Leech health at important moments during a match. Orcish Elite, a Core common, provides Blitz and Twin Strike on a 3/6 body that is undoubtedly going to find more practical use than this mythical beast. Nothing's stopping you from using both, however, and the addition of Blessed has a chance of either opening up options in the Sanctum or locking out your opponent by Rat-washing it.

The currently price is highly affordable, and the forthcoming shift towards greater Olympian synergy might just increase the value of this form of Blitz relative to Orcish Elite. Definitely something to keep an eye on.

All

• Play Rate — 2.9%
• Win Rate — 53.4%
• Games Played — 93,768

Mythic

• Play Rate — 10.6%
• Win Rate — 55.5%
• Games Played — 22,481

Price — $0.07

Revered Seer

Having personally been decimated by a 2x Revered Seer match, the drop-off in win rate at Mythic levels of play is rather surprising. This is exactly the kind of AoE Creature Ramp most dream about, but I suspect the higher cost relative to Thunder Caller is to blame for the drop in viability in Mythic where players generally have access to top-tier cards.

I'd suggest the current price places the Seer as a somewhat budget alternative to Thunder Caller for those wanting to expand their Viking deck. That said, the current meta definitely favors creatures with 3+ Health at this mana cost.

All

• Play Rate — 2%
• Win Rate — 51.3%
• Games Played — 64,875

Mythic

• Play Rate — 2.8%
• Win Rate — 40.9%
• Games Played — 5,870

Price — $0.15

Rolling Thunder

Despite the popularity of Thunder Caller, the high cost of this spell means it's unlikely to be played often and falls firmly under the "just in case" category for most decks. As the cheapest Divine Order epic, the win rate in Mythic—more than anything else—indicates this isn't something worth building a deck around. It has value in supplementing an already strong Viking deck, but eventually you'll have better options either in the form of lower cost cards you want to use more regularly or more similarly-costed cards that yield more immediate value.

All

• Play Rate — 0.4%
• Win Rate — 49.6%
• Games Played — 12,899

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.8%
• Win Rate — 43.1%
• Games Played — 1,607

Price — $0.72

Smith's Hammer

Effectively serving as 2x Hearts of Bronze on a 1/2 relic, it really isn't surprising that it fails to find a home among War players. It's neither popular nor effective at Mythic levels of play, and even standard play is experiencing subpar results. The lack of Blitz and low relic Strength both contribute to a poorly timed drop that fails to offer the immediate impact so important in the current meta. The current price is fairly valued if only due to the fact this is likely just a collector's item.

All

• Play Rate — 0.9%
• Win Rate — 47.8%
• Games Played — 28,143

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.5%
• Win Rate — 36.6%
• Games Played — 1,059

Price — $0.12

Sole Survivor

Given its recent (over)buff, the metrics need additional time to properly reflect the current value of this match-deciding spell. Despite the trailing numbers, both play rates and win rates at all levels of play are indicating a surge in popularity and effectiveness. Conveniently placed at 6 mana, you can expect annoyingly reliable board-wipes when you drop this on the board that may continue on to repeatedly smash your opponent's face if the creature you target has sufficient protections (i.e. Protect/Ward) to thwart direct removal.

The current price is highly inaccurate (and undervalued) given that it's unlikely you'll snag a copy for less than $7-$10 depending on the day.

All

• Play Rate — 3.2%
• Win Rate — 58.8%
• Games Played — 102,576

Mythic

• Play Rate — 20.8%
• Win Rate — 58%
• Games Played — 44,293

Price — $0.69

Sound the Charge

Ignoring for a moment the fact that the meta prefers the strongest plays in the early-game, I'd offer this spell up as something you can use to build up your hand if you're bumping into a highly concentrated Control deck. For example, a Magic deck that has deployed beefy sources of Spell Boost such as Wall of Lightning can snipe anything you deploy for a pittance if it lacks Blitz. Thus, if you're not quite ready for Mythic, Sound the Charge can help you create the imitation Archangel Bruisers you need to maintain your presence on the board.

The current price is slightly undervalued in standard play, but fairly valued (and this not recommended) if you're looking to break into Mythic.

All

• Play Rate — 1.1%
• Win Rate — 47.3%
• Games Played — 36,722

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.7%
• Win Rate — 40.8%
• Games Played — 1,507

Price — $0.06

Spoils of War

This is a great example of what I mean when I talk about "condensing" your deck. For 1 mana, this spell guarantees a creature draw that is also buffed if you're able to swipe your opponent, beforehand. In other words, if you're running an Aggro deck, consistently drawing creatures is required if you want to end the match before a Midrange or Control deck starts dropping behemoths on the board. For 1 mana, you can treat your deck as 1-2 cards smaller in exchange for a buff on the creature(s) you draw.

The play/win rates suggest that this is an average include in any deck which (to me) translates as decent filler when building a deck on a budget.

All

• Play Rate — 2.4%
• Win Rate — 52.7%
• Games Played — 76,189

Mythic

• Play Rate — 6.6%
• Win Rate — 49.3%
• Games Played — 14,074

Price — $0.06

Tartessian Minotaur

Give me a moment while I fetch my soap box. Okay, here goes! The play/win rates are absolutely appalling for this power play beast, as he endures the lowest win rate in Mythic of the Divine Order set. . . "and I took that personally!" ;P

First, let's talk about why the Minotaur is struggling in the current meta. One word: Vikings. Olympians are hard to pull together, as several integral creatures have a high asking price despite the lack of popularity of the tribe among War decks. By the time you've hit 5 mana, Vikings likely have a bevvy of tribal boosting creatures yelling nonsense at each other while they rampage back and forth across the board. Olympians are more defensive with fewer offensive stat weightings and zero Blitz creatures below 5 mana. This means you're forced to dilute your Olympian synergy either with off-tribe Blitz creatures or spells/removal other War decks don't necessarily need.

So, why do I disagree with the current win rates and price? Two reasons: Over-proof Brew and the forthcoming Core refresh. Olympians are about to gain several creatures such as Tartessian Improviser that will flesh out their early-game deploys and beef up their board influence. Until that happens, however, an Olympian deck can effectively replace Over-proof Brew with a creature that provides a similar effect on deploy. You swap Overkill for Protect which can offset the loss of AoE 1 damage with possible spillover into Backline/Hidden/Order creatures that might be ruining your day.

All that said, the current price is undervalued regardless of deck given given the pending Core refresh. I'd argue it's also undervalued in the current meta if you're able to assemble a well-rounded Olympian deck, but the win rates in Mythic strongly indicate that you'll need highly accurate play to be competitive in the current meta.

All

• Play Rate — 0.2%
• Win Rate — 45.9%
• Games Played — 7,961

Mythic

• Play Rate — 0.1%
• Win Rate — 31.3%
• Games Played — 147

Price — $0.13

Tenderizer

This relic is the embodiment of "Hulk Smash!" When you drop this card, you're almost certainly gonna keeel somethin'! The scary part of this ability is creature kills are effectively free unless your opponent finds some relic removal to live another day. When the board has been mashed to your satisfaction, you can swing at your opponent's face to begin the process of ending the game.

Play rates are average, but the win rates make a strong showing across all levels of play. The high cost leads me to believe the current price is fairly valued, but there's room for this to shift to undervalued when players lose easy access to Core cards/packs.

All

• Play Rate — 0.7%
• Win Rate — 55.8%
• Games Played — 21,979

Mythic

• Play Rate — 3.8%
• Win Rate — 58.4%
• Games Played — 8,074

Price — $1.08

Thunder Caller

Iconic to all Viking decks, this is the kind of stat-stacking that decides games. When played early, you can force your opponent to spend their removal on the buffed Viking rather than knocking this buff-engine off the board if their board presence isn't strong enough to handle a beefcake roaming about.

Play rates firmly support the popularity of Thunder, but win rates take a slight hit when entering Mythic levels of play. This seems to imply that while very effective at what it does, Mythic players have encountered him enough to have strategies in place to curb his electric enthusiasm. With that in mind, I'd argue the current price is fairly valued but will shift to moderately undervalued after the set is locked.

All

• Play Rate — 4.6%
• Win Rate — 55.9%
• Games Played — 149,453

Mythic

• Play Rate — 24.1%
• Win Rate — 52.4%
• Games Played — 51,310

Price — $4.59

Valka's Captain

An important part of recognizing card value/strength is to add up how much you get for the mana cost. In this case, we're looking at a 2/1 relic AND a 3/2 creature for a combined 5/3 at only 2 mana. I challenge you to find a more cost effective deploy at that mana cost other than Pyramid Warden.

The Viking captain is among the most popular cards of the set with a noticeably positive win rate at all levels of play. This makes the current price tag fairly valued until something better comes along. Gods have mercy :S

All

• Play Rate — 6.5%
• Win Rate — 57.7%
• Games Played — 208,357

Mythic

• Play Rate — 43.7%
• Win Rate — 55.9%
• Games Played — 93,075

Price — $7.32

Valknir Cavalry

2 Strength is so prevalent among early creatures that a 2/1 with 1 Armor isn't going to gain much use from Twin Strike without some Creature Ramp to prepare it ahead of time. Thus, while this battle bear bro is experiencing average popularity and win rates, I'd consider him a decent include in a Creature Ramp deck. A single Call to Arms (Draw 1, +2 Health for War Creatures in your deck) brings his stats up enough for Twin Strike to be more effective.

All

• Play Rate — 3.4%
• Win Rate — 51.3%
• Games Played — 109,016

Mythic

• Play Rate — 7.8%
• Win Rate — 47.4%
• Games Played — 16,575

Price — $0.05

RANKINGS by Category

All

Play Rate

Win Rate

Price

Mythic

Play Rate

Win Rate

Conclusion

In summary, Archangel Bruiser and Another Round! are winning this set's popularity contest while Anagreos, Oddi, and Einar form the winner's circle. Anagreos might just be a poser, though. Enraging Talisman and Tartessian Minotaur are forcing many to question their life choices, but I'd suggest the mythical Minotaur might find a home with clever play.

Additionally, commons like Nokkvi Warrior and Ravenous Chimera serve as competitive budget upgrades while Echoing Fury, Valknir Cavalry and Sound the Charge might be overlooked in certain niche decks.

Until next time!

~ Ent

Sources

Images

https://market.x.immutable.com/

Data

https://cardsunchained.com/

Spreadsheet

War - Divine Order Set

Twitter

https://twitter.com/TheJungleBoy4