A long time ago, I tasked myself with diving into the depths of Magic: the Gathering’s elaborate history to track down some hidden gems that have been forgotten over the ages. I ventured through some secrets in Alliances and then found some gems hidden in the Dark, but then Innistrad came out… and Dark Ascension. And Avacyn Restored. So the series got put on hold, but now I finally have time again to uncover Antiquities.

The second Magic: the Gathering expansion ever, Antiquities used to be full of expensive cards simply because of their scarcity. But now, card prices have drastically dropped (in most cases) allowing older sets to become much more manageable. This list isn’t about reminding you about what awesome cards are known about in Antiquities like Power Artifact, but about showing what gems have been forgotten about over the last 18 years.

Being a set based around artifacts, it seems only fitting to begin there. Cursed Rack is a unique piece in the Stuffy Doll arsenal. With many decks in Commander abusing cards like Reliquary Tower, it is hard to limit your opponents maximum hand size. Cursed Rack provides a colorless way to do just that when you aren’t able to make use of the Misers or Jin-Gitaxias. If you constantly face off against someone abusing their hand, take it down. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Antiquities, artifact, black, blue, casual, commander, green, land, magic: the gathering, red, white

The final part of the six-part Avacyn Restored Casual and Commander review covers everything that doesn’t fit into a the five colors – so we’ve got multicolor, artifacts and lands ready to be reviewed and explored! Artifacts are almost always fun since pretty much everyone can use them!

But Avacyn Restored is a little different, since there are only three gold cards and all of them happen to be legendary angels! That’s going to mess with the top 5…

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Bruna, Light of Alabaster

For years, the aura commander has been Uril, the Miststalker. He’s huge, grows even bigger and is near impossible to kill. But Bruna may offer a new alternative, and color pairing, to aura-centric players who are looking for something different. Being an evasive 5/5 for six with vigilance makes her decent in the air, but her ability is what looks to be most exciting.

Bruna not only allows you to play auras for free, she also steals them from other players and returns them from a graveyard. As far as I’m concerned, she effectively removes the card disadvantage so often found on auras. Toss in the fact that she can move auras during combat, and you’ve got a fascinating Voltron-style commander that will play differently from Uril. So have fun stealing everyone’s licids.

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Boros players haven’t got the widest selection of commanders to pick from, so just getting a new one is nice, especially one that isn’t so creature-combat focused. But what I really like about Gisela is that she is a two-turn clock essentially for commander damage. Or just regular damage since this augments damage for everyone else at the table.

Furnace of Rath is a great way to force the game into sudden death overtime, but having your own Furnace attached to an angel is beyond great. Then you get to the white half where Gisela is near impossibly to kill in combat. Your opponent needs a 10/11 (or a 10/5 first striker) to be able to kill Gisela alone. Cast her, toss on Lightning Greaves and watch the world crumble around you. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, artifact, avacyn restored, casual, commander, gold, land, magic: the gathering, multicolor, review

Now in the home stretch of reviewing Avacyn Restored, I get to continue my trend of reviewing colors I love. While I’m a red mage at heart, I love the options Green provides. Between color fixing, mana acceleration and some of the best non-creature removal options out there, you can’t go wrong with it.

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Abundant Growth

I really like how Wizards is actively making auras that aren’t automatic card disadvantage for simply existing. The draw a card aspect of this is a nice touch, but the simple fact is this just is a mana fixer, not mana acceleration. If you’re playing some weird five color monstrosity (which I’ve been known to do) that isn’t domain, it’s a fine way to make sure you don’t get screwed. Plus it doesn’t mention other mana symbols specifically, so it works fine in any Commander deck with green.

Blessings of Nature

This can quickly become a cornerstone of an odd counter based deck. Being able to reload a Triskelion or augment any modular creature makes this a decent spell. The miracle cost is very nice and could theoretically give you a 6/6 on turn 2 if you’re playing Isamaru or something similar. The sorcery speed holds it back from being really excellent though. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, avacyn restored, casual, commander, green, magic: the gathering, review

I know there is something wrong with me when it comes to Commander, because I’m one of those weird people who still play monored after all these years of people saying red can’t do enough. But looking over at the new cards offered in Avacyn Restored, I can’t be happier to find new spells and creatures to cram into my Jaya Ballard deck.

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Aggravate

Okay, this isn’t the best start. Paying 5 mana for Simoon isn’t exactly a bargain, but the combination of Simoon and essentially Siren’s Call makes me interested in how this can play out. Forcing a player to attack can be just what it needed to either finish them off by removing their defenses or finish off another player who happens to be lacking in defense. The multiple uses make me interested in how it can be used politically.

Archwing Dragon

Kaalia will love this. So will Norin the Wary’s Pandemonium deck. But where I really see this card shining is part of complex tricks where you trade creatures. Archwing Dragon and Confusion in the Ranks is bound to be a losing proposition for almost everyone else. And then that stops working, you still have a 4/4 hasty flier that is immune to sorcery speed removal! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, avacyn restored, casual, commander, magic: the gathering, red, review

Wizards has had a current role of not making the storyline so good versus evil which translates to white versus black. Ever since the demise of the Ineffable at the end of Apocalypse, the villains have been spread across the color pie. But with Avacyn Restored, it is pretty clear that the good guys are white and the bad guys are black, which sadly means black got the short straw.

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Appetite for Brains

Targeted discard of any type in multiplayer is bound to be a bad idea. Much like counterspells, the return just isn’t there so you’re left targeting a single player in hopes of making the right call. I love this card for dueling, but in multiplayer, Syphon Mind is still the gold standard.

Barter in Blood

While this is a reprint, it’s a fantastic one. Innocent Blood is amazing and doubling it just makes it even better – usually. With so many creatures persisting or undying or being indestructible, having a way to get rid of a lot of them in one fell swoop is a great play. If you aren’t playing this already, seriously think about it! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, avacyn restored, black, casual, commander, magic: the gathering, review

With white behind us in the Avacyn Restored Casual and Commander review, it is on to possibly my least favorite color in Magic – blue! Nothing stalls a game like a blue mage ruining everything (but I shouldn’t talk, I’m pretty sure half my decks run blue). But if you’re looking for some unique spells to change up the dynamic at your table, Avacyn Restored will definitely get your gears moving.

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Alchemist’s Apprentice

At first glance, this card isn’t that exciting. My initial gut reaction is to compare it to Hapless Researcher, but they fulfill completely different roles. Alchemist’s Apprentice essentially cycles for 1U, and if you can get creative with a recursion combo, he can fill a similar role as Elvish Visionary.

Amass the Components

A new take on Sift, this sorcery speed card draw is just a bigger See Beyond and a must consider in any kind of combo deck that wants certain spells out of your hand. I really like that it just puts the card on the bottom of your library, which generally keeps it safe from milling. Not a ground breaking spell, but some decks will make great use of this. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, avacyn restored, blue, casual, commander, magic: the gathering, review

With Avacyn Restored just being released, it seems oddly unanimous that this set is all about casual and Commander players. Much like Rise of the Eldrazi, Avacyn Restored throws the classic block format out of whack, so if you want to learn all about awesome drafting strategies, I would advise going elsewhere. If you want to know which gems in this set will drive your opponents mad in a game of Star or be just the cog you’re looking for in Commander, we’ve got you covered.

Once again, I will be doing this on a card by card basis, and that means I’ll do my best to say something about every card.

Casual and Commander Review: Avacyn Restored
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Gold, Artifacts & Lands

Angel of Glory’s Rise

The other side of the Zombie Apocalypse coin, Angel of Glory’s Rise is the first gem that will often result in me saying “this goes in Kaalia.” Sadly, none of the really fun stuff like Xenograft or Conspiracy works with her which is a real shame – unless you name Human.

A one-sided Patriarch’s Bidding is deadly (or if you want to get really mean, check out Artificial Evolution to change either part to something else). At the end of the day though, she’s a 4/6 flier for seven, which isn’t the most exciting creature in the game.

Angel of Jubilation

Mana cost aside, this angel is the whole package! She evades, she pumps the rest of your team and she hoses some deck strategies. If Survival of the Fittest/Recurring Nightmare decks are an issue, she stops those. And Birthing Pod. And all Phyrexian mana.

But she’s another Glorious Anthem for your commander decks! Sure, Kaalia and she might not get along perfectly, but that’s not the Angel of Jubilation’s problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: arena, avacyn restored, casual, commander, magic: the gathering, review, white

Whenever a set isn’t about gold or multicolor as a theme, the few and far between gold cards really help bring the set together. And Dark Ascension certainly does that – unless you happen to like Green-White. Well, then you better enjoy some artifacts and none of the lands either.

Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land

Diregraf Captain

It took years, but Wizards seems to have realized lords are better when they’re easier to obtain. Making the shift so a bunch of them are uncommon is a genius move since it makes it so much easier for players to get a hold of them. But what I really like is that they are gold. Diregraf Captain is a great way to tie together black-blue zombies.

On the surface, this Captain reminds me a lot of Dralnu’s Crusade but it goes so much deeper. Having deathtouch makes him a pricey target to trade with in combat. Then he pumps everyone in a great way. And then Wizards gave him the ability to eat away at your opponents’ life totals! This is an amazing lord and I can’t wait to build some black-blue zombies. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: artifact, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, gold, land, magic: the gathering, multicolor, multiplayer, review

I don’t know why, but it seems like Dark Ascension is jammed packed full of green two-drops.  But the rest of the set provides some fascinating cards that green usually doesn’t get access to and I am very excited whenever green gets more card drawing.

Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land

Briarpack Alpha

I remember when this card was called Briarhorn and it was a lot better. Still, it’s a neat combat trick. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: commander, dark ascension, edh, game, green, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review