There we go!
Okay, a four-mana planeswalker that draws cards and protects itself. See you next week!
Just kidding (but also not really, though), as there’s more to Narset than meets the eye. Like with most planeswalkers, the place I’d start with for evaluation of Narset of the Ancient Way is the ability that has the highest impact the turn you cast it (which is usually the second ability, as is the case with this one).
-2: Draw a card, then you may discard a card. When you discard a nonland card this way, Narset of the Ancient Way deals damage equal to that card’s converted mana cost to target creature or planeswalker.
First of, remember the discard is optional and you don’t have to decide until you see what you draw. That means, minimum, this ability is “draw a card.” Generally, we’re going to be very interested in turning one of our cards into a zero-mana Hero’s Downfall on an opposing creature or planeswalker (which is basically what the rest of this ability gives us).
Dealing damage equal to cost gives us incentive for expensive cards, but given that the ceiling is usually just “kill the creature or planeswalker,” it’s not like we’re actually going to be incentivized to go through the roof or anything. Additionally, it’s not really about bringing the average converted mana cost up. It’s much more about having a range that includes some cards that happen to have convenient costs so that you have options. For instance, if you’ve got three three-cost cards in your hand, that doesn’t give you the flexibility that having a five, a three, and a one would give you, despite the same average converted mana cost.
Discarding something that works from your graveyard is a great way to get more than the sum of the parts with Narset. Not only have you drawn the card and killed something, you’ve also got the extra material in the graveyard for use later.
Cards like Boon of the Wish-Giver are a fantastic way to increase Narset’s damage dealing potential without leaving your deck clunky in the games without her. Dealing six means she’ll generally be able to kill any planeswalkers with cost five or less that just hit the battlefield.
Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord, huh? Because Narset sure is a fun one to give lifelink to. Just saying…
Anyway, normally it’s hard to play all that many sixes, but you can definitely play more than average if some of them are Boon of the Wish-Giver. Cycling for one is just not a very high opportunity cost and easily replaces the Boon with a cheaper card.
Besides, drawing four cards is kind of sweet in the games you don’t draw Narset, and if you happen to have time to actually cast the Boon with Narset on the battlefield, it helps find you a good spread of costs to power her up while she protects you for zero. What’s more, she even helps you curve perfectly into it. On Turn 4 you can use her -2 ability to draw a card and then pitch a spell that doesn’t line up as well in this matchup, giving you battlefield advantage and selection. Then, untap and her +1 ability takes you straight from four to six, making Boon of the Wish-Giver an excellent follow-up play.
+1: You gain 2 life. Add U, R, or W. Spend this mana only to cast a noncreature spell.
Narset is just all about doing two things at once, isn’t she?
While that -2 is obviously great for defending Narset, this +1 ability can help defend Narset too. While it doesn’t leave up permission mana like Teferi, it does let us Shock (or whatever) with tempo. Being able to gain two life at the same time that we get an extra mana is definitely solid, though we’ll want to keep in mind that she can’t give us mana for Dream Trawler. Maybe this moves the needle enough to not play it, but if we do play both together, this interaction (or lack thereof) is one to not miss.
-6: You get an emblem with “Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this emblem deals 2 damage to any target.”
While fairly generic, this ultimate seems pretty solid for taking over a game, for how obtainable it is. If we’re feeling particularly risky, we might combine her with Chandra, Acolyte of Flame to ultimate her a turn ahead of schedule… the very turn we untap with her.
Narset looks tight and immediately fun to build with. While there are many potential directions you can take Narset, here’s where I’m starting first.
Creatures (1)
Planeswalkers (11)
Lands (26)
Spells (22)
