There are certain subjects that even I try to stay away from nowadays. I love making people talk. I’ve covered pretty much everything, too. I get all sorts of insane and wild reactions.
This week I wanted to talk about why they should abolish the Reserved List. I believe it to be one of the most nonsensical aspects of Magic, and so ridiculously harmful to longevity and player-to-format participation that it should be burned to the ground so a new era of prosperity can grow from the ashes like the mythical phoenix.
Buuuuuuut…
Spoilers!
If controversy is king, telling the readers that the Reserved List is like a tumor that should surgically get cut out of Magic is only a glass of water compared to recommending what cards people buy. Hell, that’s the ocean.
You see, the first implication is that I’m a shill for SCG. That’s just Level 1 thinking. Those comments are run-of-the-mill and entirely expected.
The next tier is the real Illuminati stuff, like I’m trying to pump up the prices of the cards I may have bought because I own a bunch of preorders. Those are my favorite.
The last time I did one of these was right before I went to Belgium. I was extremely excited to play in that Pro Tour, so I wrote about all of the cards I dug from Dragons of Tarkir. The top of my list, literally the first card I wanted to showcase? Kolaghan’s Command.
I’ve shot called Sylvan Advocate and Chandra, Flamecaller. Those two I simply put in new decks and said to order them. I wrote about Master of Waves and Craterhoof Behemoth as my picks of their respective set. I love this stuff, but you folks yell at me and think that I’m trying to get you or something.
However, I’ve decided to break my year-long silence because Eldritch Moon is one of the most insane sets I’ve seen in a long time. I love it from top to bottom. I want you to get the most bang for your bucks spent, because it’s polarizing. Some cards that are expensive I fully believe will bust, and some that are cheap or cheaper I would make sure I have sets of.
Remember, I will never tell you to buy 300 copies of something, but instead want you to pick up the adequate number to play with. Not just that, but I also try to look down the line for cards that may be better after rotations or in the long term.
So stop freaking yelling at me.
Prevue #1
Emerge was a terrible idea and may be a broken mechanic. If Wizards ever gives you a card that has cost reduction or alternate casting cost or something along those lines, it ends up breaking the fundamentals of Magic. In no card do I believe this is more present than Decimator of the Provinces.
Right off the bat you’re talking about a cast trigger, so making your creatures grow is incredibly easy. Aside from new standout Summary Dismissal, an Overrun attached to a 7/7 trample and hasted body is the end of the game almost every single time.
Cryptolith Rite decks are going to become wildly powerful because of this card. Before they were clunky and required difficult win conditions or convoluted combos. Now, they get to play a ten-mana threat that can easily cost six or seven and be sacrificed after tapping it for mana off a Cryptolith Rite. Those decks are already on the cusp of being immensely powerful, so to give them this kind of win condition is just ludicrous.
As I’m writing this, Decimator is $5.99. I cannot see this lasting. I don’t expect it to reach Craterhoof’s $30 Standard price tag, since it can’t be cheated onto the battlefield with something like Natural Order and reanimating it has much less payoff. The best way to use this creature is by emerging it. Speaking of “using,” get used to losing to this card and the massive battlefields trampling over you. Since Duskwatch Recruiter is in the format, it may not be necessary to get four of them, but I wouldn’t recommend any less than two.
Bust Alert
Insert some siren noises or something like that?
Wizards giveth us an incredibly cool creature.
Then Wizards giveth us this:
When I read this, and then read Gisela, this was my reaction.
The likening to Baneslayer Angel is comical at best. Baneslayer was a 5/5 in a format where people were actively playing Dragons, not to mention Sphinx of Jwar Isle and Jund, which couldn’t even hope to beat that card most of the time.
While I think Gisela, the Broken Blade will certainly see play, the fact that she’s a legend takes away a ton of her power. You could chain Baneslayer Angels. You can’t double or triple up on Gisela, which kills the comparison right away. Three toughness also isn’t a spot where you want to be, especially when a newly minted two-mana burn spell is coming down the pipe that exiles your Angel. We also live in a world where Dromoka’s Command is punching everyone in the face. It’s a sick, sad world.
Unless you feel you absolutely have to play these the first week, I’d give it a little time. They’ll drop, and when they do, I wouldn’t think twice about grabbing some.
Prevue #2
I had to read Bedlam Reveler more than once because I didn’t believe they’d print a card like this, yet here we are.
Remember when I mentioned earlier that cost reduction is dangerous? The first Bedlam Reveler isn’t as scary as the second or third one. In multiples, these can clog your hand a bit, but it won’t take much to make this card terrifying. U/R Goggles is a deck that loves to fill the graveyard with instants and sorceries, yet despite being able to produce a ton of velocity, it finds itself with very little to do. A card like Bedlam Reveler allows you to power out a threat to complement Thing in the Ice. Remember, Reveler is a Horror that Thing in the Ice’s flip side, Awoken Horror, doesn’t bounce.
A lot of the time Bedlam Reveler is going to cost two or three mana and will discard unneeded lands or spells that Goblin Dark-Dwellers may flash back.
I respect this card’s power level quite a bit, and for those of you interested in Modern Burn, I’m testing a Naya version with four copies of Bedlam Reveler in the sideboard for matchups like Abzan Collected Company where your small creatures are at their worst and something like Bedlam Reveler could make a huge difference. It provides a body that doesn’t die to Abrupt Decay and draws you more cards to keep the gas flowing.
I would get your playset of this card, because it’s already gone from four to six dollars in under a week.
The Hype is Real
The first time I saw Tamiyo I didn’t realize exactly what I was looking at. “She’s probably too hard to cast,” I thought. “Is a Collected Company deck ever going to want this?”
But that’s all wrong.
Preliminary testing has been…absolutely terrifying. Tamiyo screws up everything about attacking and blocking, and that’s probably a gross understatement. The best creature in standard, Sylvan Advocate, is immensely frightening with her +1, which, mind you, sets a four-drop planeswalker to five loyalty. Acting in concert with the insane plus ability is her -2, which Frost Breaths their two best creatures. Again, that is way better than the average player thinks it is.
If your first reaction to Tamiyo, Field Researcher is to wonder what her place in a Company Deck is, let me tell you the truth: Tamiyo doesn’t need Collected Company, and she will create her own Bant deck that centers around her power, value, and impressive battlefield presence.
Since she’s $35 right now, I won’t tell you to run out and buy four, but I will tell you this: in testing she’s the core element of the decks she’s in, you always want to draw and play her, and without a doubt I would run four. Buy three at the least.
The Hype Is Hysterically Real
One of the best decks in Standard is the one you or many of your friends aren’t playing, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic choice.
Creatures (28)
- 4 Knight of the White Orchid
- 2 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
- 4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
- 4 Reflector Mage
- 3 Bygone Bishop
- 3 Archangel Avacyn
- 4 Thraben Inspector
- 4 Rattlechains
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (24)
Spells (5)
“Daddy” Jones took my bestie Brennan DeCandio’s U/W Spirit deck to a second place finish at the #SCGWOR Classic, losing to Mike Sigrist in the finals in one of the best matchups for the deck, G/W Tokens.
Spell Queller is the cards that throws U/W Spirits over the top by providing another flash body. Effectively countering a spell is a cherry on top! This deck has trouble against multiple Languish or Radiant Flames effects, so being able to stop one is the difference between tempo your opponent cannot overcome and losing. Rattlechains plus Spell Queller is going to win U/W Spirits pilots games.
I don’t see this card going much higher than the $8.99 it is preordering at. It is a niche card and can’t be jammed in every single deck like Sylvan Advocate has been. Bant Company and U/W Spirits will love this creature, though. I don’t really feel like there’s a difference between getting your playsets now or in a month, because this price is almost certainly locked in for quite a spell.
McKayla Maroney Is Not Impressed
With the Olympics coming up, it’s time to bust out old McKayla Maroney memes. Rejoice, internet! She’s dat girl over there!
Heralded as the second coming of Natural Order, Eldritch Evolution carries a $13 price tag. I believe it’s going to be exceptional in Commander and fun formats, but Standard doesn’t really have any creatures you want to jump right into. The dream of Hangarbacks into Advocates is awesome, but Evolutionary Leap gives a lot more control over what you’re doing and sacrificing without putting you at the mercy of blowouts. I’m not a huge fan of Unsubstantiate, but I can’t imagine a sadder state of affairs than having your Evolution bounced after sacrificing a creature. Modern has Remand, and that’s even worse. This is the kind of card you build your curve around, almost like Birthing Pod, so having it countered is a level of misery I’m not prepared for.
Do I think this card will see play? Of course, but it’s not going to be a format powerhouse just yet. I’d be passing on these for $13. It’s possible I’m wrong, and I’d love to see some lists to change my tune.
Steals of the Set: Prevues 3 & 4
My two best buys aren’t the flashiest cards, nor do I think they’re the most powerful, but I do believe they’re exceptional to put your dollars in.
The first?
When rotation happens and the devil that is Hangarback Walker makes its graceful exit, Edict effects will go up in value. Oath of Liliana and planeswalker namesake Liliana, the Last Hope will be incredible together. Oath will do a fine job at keeping the battlefield clean and the payoff of 2/2 Zombies to further protect your planeswalker investments is simply too good to ignore.
However, my best value of the set is Mirrorwing Dragon.
As a $5 mythic and a Dragon, the effect on Mirrorwing Dragon is ridiculous. Ultimate Price my Dragon? Ultimate Price your team! Cast Butcher’s Glee on Mirrorwing and give all of your creatures +3/+0 and lifelink while regenerating them. There are too many ways this card utterly destroys your opponent. After rotation it’s going to be an even more powerful threat. I don’t think you can miss on this card unless you choose not to buy them.
With all the money I’m saving you on Gisela and Eldritch Evolution, it’s practically free!
Shill Out
Well, there you have it. My do’s and don’ts of Eldritch Moon. It’s never easy pinning these cards down. Mind you, there are several I didn’t get to touch on, so please don’t fret if I missed your pet card or one you think is a fantastic pickup. If anything, share it in the comments!
May all your dollars and cents be stretched for miles and miles, and may each speculation be a Tarmogoyf.
Back to watching Mad Ron’s Prevues from Hell. My favorite. It’s a pick 1, pack 1 windmill slam for B-movie horror. With Eldritch Moon coming up, it’s the best way to prepare for your Prerelease!