MTGCommander.net got the honor of showing off the first spoilers for Planechase 2 that really have nothing to do with Planechase at all! They are fantastic new additions to Commander though thanks to some absurd casting costs and even better abilities.
Krond the Dawn-Clad is an interesting choice thanks to an absurdly unsplashable casting cost. As a white-green commander, I love anyone who plays well with Armadillo Cloak and this guy certainly does. The combination of offensive and defensive capabilities makes me very interested in him, but I’m not sure he has enough to make him a top tier Commander.
For multiplayer though, I love how this guy works in reanimating decks thanks to the simple fact that Animate Dead is an aura.
Vela the Night-Clad looks an awful lot like a shadow priestess I used to run in World of Warcraft. The evasion combined with mass evasion makes me very interested, but I really love her final ability. It triggers whenever someone leaves the battlefield which is very interesting when combined with ninjitsu and phasing (who expected those abilities to ever be paired up). Add in the rise of flickering effects from Avacyn Restored and I’m very interested in seeing what this card can do.
This brings the Planechase 2 visual spoiler up to four cards in all.
Tags: commander, krond the dawn-clad, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, planechase 2, spoiler, vela the night-clad
With the release of Planechase 2 just a matter of weeks away, it’s about time the spoilers have started being revealed. It’s been almost six months since we saw or heard anything on the set when Wizards showed off these two cards:
But now there are some new things being leaked left and right. MTGSalvation is the source for four potentially leaked cards:
Legendary Ninja 3UUBB
Ninjustu 2UUBB
When ~ deals damage to a player, look at that players and hand and cast an instant or sorcery spell from it.
7/6
Mana Rock 3
Artifact
T: Add one mana of any colour
T: Roll the planer Dice
New card with cascade is a 2/2 for 1GU
UB artifact creature
Deathtouch, flying
When ETB, draw a card
1/1
There there is the newest Planechase Promo! If Tazeem is any indicator, get this one while you can!
Stairs to Infinity
Plane – Xerex
Players have no maximum hand size.
Whenever you roll the planar die, draw a card.
Whenever you roll chaos, reveal the top card of your planar deck. You may put it on the bottom of your planar deck.
With Planechase 2 being similar to Commander, we will only be tracking new cards spoiled. This includes 21 new cards, 32 new Planes and 8 new Phenomena. You can find out 61 card visual spoiler here.
Tags: magic: the gathering, multiplayer, planechase 2, spoilers
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
There is probably something wrong with me because I absolutely love playing mono-red in Commander. Sure, it’s probably the weakest color, but over the last few years a lot of new and unique spells have been added to the red mage’s arsenal. And then promptly taken by the nearest Izzet player.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Afflicted Deserter & Werewolf Ransacker
The first round of werewolves in Innistrad didn’t wow me, but it seems like R&D has figured out what to do with them – make people do everything in their power not to flip them. Recursive removal is a great thing and Commander is the one format where there is almost always an artifact worth destroying.
But the politics of this card are amazing. If someone doesn’t cast a spell, an artifact gets destroyed. If a player wants to screw over someone else, they just need to cast two spells and suddenly it’s like a game of Hot Potato only someone ends up getting bolted. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, red, review
With a name like Dark Ascension, is it really a surprise to anyone that Black seems to get some of the best toys in this set?
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Black Cat
This card is adorable! Sure, I would have loved if it was more involved with luck (though the random discard is a nice touch). Most easily compared to Ravenous Rats, Black Cat isn’t a bad card but in multiplayer this kitten just doesn’t do enough. Unless you happen to have some great recursion engine… Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: black, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review
I hate blue mages when they’re being predictable. Draw-Go may be one of my least favorite deck types ever, but even I can’t help but be excited when blue is given a bunch of odd toys to make wonky combo decks. Thankfully, Dark Ascension provides just that.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Artful Dodge
This is a card I see having use two different ways. First, is any deck involving Kiln Fiend. He loves getting spells cast on him and loves being unblockable even more. This is a fine addition alongside Distortion Strike. The other way this can be used was brought to my attention by Mark Rosewater as an anti-werewolf measure. It’s not easy casting two spells in a single turn to transform a werewolf back to a human, but being able to pay UU to do it can be great. Personally, I would prefer Defy Gravity as it is an instant, but it is nice knowing the tools exist. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: blue, commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review
Now that Dark Ascension is fully spoiled, it is time to really look at the cards and try to find out where they work the best. If you’re looking for a captivating analysis of the Standard environment, this isn’t place. But if you want to find out how to make use of almost every card in Dark Ascension at the kitchen table or while editing your Commander deck, look no further! Following my own absurd precedence, I will be starting with white.
Dark Ascension Commander & Casual Review
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Land
Archangel’s Light
I don’t know why the first card of every set is often an odd one, but I’ve seen this happen before. There’s no denying that Archangel’s Light is the worst mythic in the set. Yes, this card can simultaneously help you against mill and beat down decks but the casting cost is way too high for it to ever get much use. If this card cost half as much, it might be okay but as it stands… I’m sorry for when you get this in a booster pack. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, dark ascension, edh, game, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, review, white
It’s weird to say it, but at my heart I’m still a red player through and through. So while burn might not be the most effective method of winning in multiplayer, there’s nothing quite like going out in a blaze of glory to take someone down. I may not use my mono-red burn deck often but I certainly adore it to this day.
But my love of burn transcended into Commander as a format and I’m one of the few people I know who are foolish enough to still run a mono-red deck under Jaya Ballard, Task Mage. So for me, Innistrad is full of amazing red spells to really mess with people.
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Lands
Ancient Grudge
If you’re in red-green, this is strictly better than Shatter… but so is Shattering Pulse which is still my go-to artifact destruction. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, innistrad, magic multiplayer, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, red, Reviews
With Innistrad finally released, I’ve gotten a chance to play around with the oddities after multiple drafts, some sealed games and a terrifying round of Winston-Pack Wars multiplayer. The big thing about this set that I’ve noticed is how weird it is. Half the cards feel like limited fodder, a quarter of the cards are going to quickly disappear and the last handful around going to stick around a long, long time at kitchen tables.
Like the White review, we’re going alphabetically down the list of blue cards.
White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Multicolor, Artifact & Lands
Armored Skaab
The self milling subtheme in Innistrad is interesting, but in multiplayer I’m not sure how sustainable it is. It seems like far too many people in my playgroup take milling as a terrible offence and get very upset, so they probably won’t ever experience the joy of this card. As an enabler, any Johnny is going to be excited about the potential of this zombie. Some Commander reanimators may want to consider this in twisted decks, but he doesn’t do a whole lot on his own. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: commander, game, innistrad, magic: the gathering, multiplayer, multiplayer magic, Reviews, snapcaster mage
