‘Ello ladles and jellyspoons! These Top 10 Picks have to be some of my favorite articles mostly because I love spoiler season and I like to try and sound like I know what I’m talking about… 🙄
As always, these are my personal picks. These cards tickle my fancy for one reason or another so if there is a card you disagree with or feel I forgot don’t take it personal ✌️.
In no particular order:
[scryimg] eidolon of obstruction [/scryimg]
Eidolon of Obstruction. Low hanging fruit for me to pick this obvious hatebear that Legacy D&T will auto include a few copies of (and possibly some Modern or Pioneer decks). But this thing is sweet and it’s a taxing effect we haven’t seen before. Very cool.
[scryimg] heliods intervention [/scryimg]
Heliod’s Intervention. People seem to feel this is rather lack luster and kind of “meh” but I really really like it. In Commander when you can pump 4 or 5 or even 6 into X this might act as a pseudo one sided board wipe (especially if you have a bunch of artifacts or enchantments you don’t want to lose if you cast a Back to Nature or Shatterstorm or something). In clutch situations where you just need to blow up that game winning artifact that your opponent controls, cool, just blow that up. But when your opponent has a Uril that’s on the loose and you need to shrink it down to a manageable size you can do that too. Oh, and if you have one extra mana and someone had a turn 1 Sol Ring and you didn’t, BAM! Blow that up while you’re at it. 😛
[scryimg] whirlwind denial [/scryimg]
Whirlwind Denial. If you read my articles you know I’m not much of a blue player so I apologize if I missed a glaring super amazing game changing blue card from this set but I think this unsuspecting uncommon is really sweet. If I understand this correctly if my opponents casts World Breaker they will need to pay an additional 8 mana if they want it to resolve because of the initial 4 for spell cast and and additional 4 mana for it’s cast triggered ability.
[scryimg] thassas oracle [/scryimg]
Thassa’s Oracle. It’s another Laboratory Maniac and in some ways kinda better. Lab Man requires you to resolve him then find another way to draw a card once you’ve milled your library but with the Oracle you just need to have an empty library and if you resolve the Oracle you just win… Very Johnny card. I like it.
[scryimg] treacherous blessing [/scryimg]
Treacherous Blessing. I like this card because it looks fun and it presents the deck builder with a challenge. How do I cast this thing for 3 mana, draw my 3 cards, and ditch it before the drawback bites me in the butt? Well in a GB deck Vraska, Golgari Queen’s +2 is a clean way to deal with it (on curve to boot). Final Payment is a thing… I just wish it didn’t self destruct that way you could Harmless Offering it to someone in Pioneer.
[scryimg] storm herald [/scryimg]
Storm Herald. Also a very Johnny card because if you’re able to loot your brains out and fill up your graveyard with some nasty enchantment auras and slam this dude on the table, the haste is what makes this guy so scary and devastating. Unless your opponent has instant speed removal or a deathtouch first striker with a huge butt they are going to feel the pain. In Modern, turn 3 Eldrazi Conscriptions anyone???
[scryimg] nyxbloom ancient [/scryimg]
Nyxbloom Ancient. I know this is an obvious mythic rare bomb no-brain easy pick but it’s really just that good that I had to include it on the list. Tron lands (not saying this would be played in Modern but it’s just an example), mana dorks tap for 3 mana, Sol Ring taps for 6, and Thran Dynamo taps for 9, (I know you know how to do basic math you get the idea…) This card is very cool. ANY PERMANENT. Pretty insane. It’s a feel good Commander ramp card. Love it.
[scryimg] nyleas invervention [/scryimg]
Nylea’s Intervention. It lets you grabs ANY land. How much you want to pump into X and grab all the degenerate utility lands you want. It’s Sylvan Scrying on steroids. Commander obviously maybe even Legacy Lands? Either way this thing is nuts.
[scryimg] klothys, god of destiny [/scryimg]
Klothys, God of Destiny. I love this card. It’s basically a “fixed” Deathrite Shaman and in some ways kinda better because it doesn’t just die to Bolt or a Push and it doesn’t cost mana to activate it’s ability. The fact that it’s devotion requirement to become a creature is so high almost plays in it’s favor because it is less likely to eat a Path to Exile. I know I’m going to try a couple out in Modern Jund (you can also Bloodbraid Elf into this thing too!!!). The card is sweet and I’m excited.
[scryimg] kroxa, titan of deaths hunger [/scryimg] [scryimg] uro, titan of natures wrath [/scryimg]
And lastly, Kroxa and Uro. They are titans. Let me explain: there are three types of creatures. The first is a “Mulldrifter”. Mulldrifter enters the battle field, it’s ability triggers, we draw two cards, and we are left with a “meh” 2/2 flyer. Mulldrifter isn’t a scary 5/5 flyer that’s going to close out the game. Mulldrifter obviously can close out the game but that’s not the point. If they Doom Blade our Mulldrifter we don’t care, it’s already done it’s job and we have already reaped it’s ETB value. Now Baneslayer Angel on the other hand demands an immediate answer once it resolves or else your opponent is going to die to it very soon. The second type is the “Baneslayer” these are big scary bombs (like Death’s Shadow) that if not answered fast will end the game in a few turns. Them entering the BF generates zero value but they spell death for your opponent if they can’t answer it. As soon as they find that Doom Blade however all our value is lost. Their value is generated over the course of a few turns. Now comes the third type: “The Titan”. Derived from the original cycle of titans (inferno, grave, sun, etc). They generate immediate value with their ETB and put your opponent up against the ropes if they can’t find an answer for it soon. Think of it like a super value creature. Siege Rhino comes to mind. Anyways, Kroxa and Uro are both clearly titans (it’s in their names…). They do nasty things on ETB and continue to when they attack. If they kill it? Great! We just escape it… No matter what, when you spend mana on them they do good things for you. They’re a titan you can make payments on. Almost like an adventure or evoke version of the OG titans.
Honorable Mention: Banishing Light (Standard needs these sort of cards), Daxos (Soul Sisters), Idyllic Tutor (THANK YOU FOR THE REPRINT!), Agonizing Remorse (deceptively powerful uncommon because it exiles), Blight-Breath Catoblepas (could see play in Mono Black Control in Pauper), Eat to Extinction (Vraska’s Contempt 2.0 needed in Standard), Erobos’s Intervention (removal and could be played mainboard to win game 1 if you need to surprise hose some graveyards), Gravebreaker Lamia (very cool tutor to graveyard effect for Reanimator decks), Gray Merchant (he back, he got a sack, and most importantly he back!), Underworld Dreams (nostalgic card), Furious Rise (could be sick nasty in a Gruul shell “drawing” a card each turn basically), Irreverent Revelers (nice sideboard tech for creature aggro based strategies), Arasta of the Endless Web (just a serious bomb vs. Control. Please, cast your Opt…), Destiny Spinner (insane value from an uncommon), Dryad of the Ilysian Grove (could do some weird stuff with Scapeshift), Shadow Spear (super cool ability for an equipment), and Blood Aspirant (Jund Food will want it probs).
Welp, there we have if folks! My list of black and green cards were long and it was hard picking. I tried representing all the colors. I didn’t just want to pick all the obviously powerful mythic rares to talk about. We all know most of the modal ‘Intervention’ spells are good (except the red one). Side note: what’s with the red spells in recent cycles sucking? Force of Rage = 💩 so does Purphoros’s Intervention. In fact, I Googled it. Look! Scientific evidence.
Eat to Extinction is selling for 1.43$ right now… Vraska’s Contempt jumped up to 19.95$ each during Standard to fight the indestructible gods. Uh… I’d order some now. How they are not at least 5$ right now IDK. Tectonic Giant was also on my list but I feel like it’s boring to discuss. We already know it’s going to be good, same with Kunoros, they both have so many abilities. It’s late and I feel like I’ve ranted enough. I hope you all enjoyed my article as well as my class lesson on Mulldrifters, Baneslayers, and Titans (credit: Michael Flores).
And as always, if you’re in the market for some snazzy new sleeves be sure to cruise on over to the shop and use my discount code MADMAGIC for 15% off on your next purchase.
