End the Festivities - PlayEDH favorites 5/5
This will be the final part in the End the Festivities series for 2021.
The other articles in this mini-series can be found here:
https://www.playedh.com/articles/etf-01 - onceisonce, Markus, Dukeblock
https://www.playedh.com/articles/etf-02 - Necro, beard umbra, Cryptic
https://www.playedh.com/articles/etf-03 - Rahvin, Mormonator(Josh), Alchmyst
https://www.playedh.com/articles/etf-04 - Chief, Senatorious, Reyemile
Thehealbus, Sydelio, Exxaxl
Thehealbus
Favorite non instant, non ‘can be your commander’ card:
Wizard Class. This little one drop enchant has been sneaking its way into most of my blue decks after the D&D set dropped. Providing some incremental value and mana sink each level advancement, I ended up liking a lot of the class cards. No max hand size ends up being very useful because how much draw my blue decks end up running.
It replaces itself and drawing 2 cards at level 2 for only 3 mana is an easy sink late game or easy to curve into early game. While I don't often get to level 3, it can provide some serious power late game if you have big draw engines out.
Favorite ‘in response…’ card:
Cosmic intervention. An extremely versatile tool, this Kaldheim commander precon card is easy to foretell early and use for a cheap 2 mana when you need it. Breaking parity on board wipes or stronger plays like mass land destruction, is really efficient at instant speed 2 mana, and usually near game winning.
The coolest part about this card is the interaction it has with cards that can sac themselves/other cards - with how it’s worded, the cards return from exile before the effect ends, meaning you can sac everything a second time to come back the next end step. A single fetchland with Cosmic Intervention out grabs 3 cards (resolve Cosmic Intervention, crack your fetchland, the fetchland returns in your end step, crack the fetchland again, and due to Cosmic Intervention, the fetchland will come back again in the next players end step) and stacking multiple fetches/strip mines can provide seriously cool and needed value for monowhite. This was definitely the biggest sleeper card from 2021!
What commander caught your eye the most:
Trelasarra, Moon Dancer. Selesnya lifegain holds a special place in my heart ever since my first prerelease event back in 2008 where I built a lifegain G/W deck (it was also my first and last foray in MTG until 2020 when I got back into the game).
Trelasarra (what a mouthful) provides a constant power increase and semi card advantage through tons of scry power as you build into using her or other lifegain payoffs to close the game. Slapping down a 1 drop lifegain card like Essence Warden, Soul Sisters, or Authority of the Consuls into a turn 2 Trelasarra is an explosive fun start to chain into more lifegain. Don't overlook this little 2 drop uncommon!
Sydelio
Favorite non instant, non ‘can be your commander’ card:
Pyre of Heroes. Birthing Pod-esque toolbox effects are amongst my favorites in the game. Something about having access to a lot of options, a lot of decision and a lot of different outcomes sparks my interest.
As a heavy Wizard & Human player, being able to chain together stuff like Spellseeker into Archaeomancer in my Thassa deck feels amazing! And don't even get me started on chaining together the Rishadan Pirate trio...
Favorite ‘in response…’ card:
Malevolent Hermit. I always loved Glen Elendra Archmage a lot and now we have a new similar creature which also has an absolutely insane flipside. I love the mindgames and decisions the card brings to the table.
What commander caught your eye the most:
Old Stickfingers. This cute little branch buddy caught my eye immediately at the spoiler: I started theorycrafting the most optimal creature package you could bring into the 99 for some early combo wins. Soon enough I had the list intact with Witherbloom Apprentice and Razaketh as the two creatures I ran. Fast mana, reanimation, a hefty amount of interaction, voila!
A honorary mention to Grolnok, The Omnivore as well. Ribbit 🐸.
Exxaxl
Favorite non instant, non ‘can be your commander’ card:
Culling Ritual. When this card got spoiled at 4 mana sorcery speed it felt a bit underwhelming - until I’d seen it in action. Several power levels rely on mana dorks, 2 cmc rocks, and there are a lot of accidental token bodies in most decks, and it also gets around hexproof/protection.
I've played this in my Meren deck and it generated 17 mana the first time I cast it ever - way stronger than it initially seemed when spoiled.
Favorite ‘in response…’ card:
Mystic Reflection. If you've played with me before, you will have seen this card. Having someone's Bane of Progress enter as a 1/1 human token instead has a certain sense of comedy in it over straight up counterspelling it.
The flexibility in using this to your own advantage to have more heavy beaters on your own board is what makes this card so good - choice is always good. Having an instant speed low mana spell that can both be used to slow down opponents or accelerate your own board is fun design.
What commander caught your eye the most:
Umbris, Fear Manifest. You'd think I've had enough of building Dimir decks for now (I say as I have an Eloise deck still in progress). Turns out a lot of Nightmare and Horror creature just naturally work well with this deck's gameplan. Swing/block with your already resolved creatures, have a Nightmare Shepherd out so you can get all those exile triggers once more and keep recycling your board.
Slot in a Maskwood Nexus and resolve a double moded Szat’s Will - that specific interaction has hit a Ghalta before which is a crazy amount of triggers.
All you need is 20 cards in exile to have Umbris hit for lethal - he does have the same weird weakness as Araumi, where your commander becomes less powerful the less opponents you have. I don't know why this mechanic speaks to me. The 'struggle' of keeping it relevant as the pod grows smaller just feels fun I guess. Umbris has been a 95/95 in a full pod before - finish the swing with a Rogue’s Passage or Aqueous Form.
And that’s the last End the Festivities of 2021. The next article will likely be from Chief, titled
‘30 Great White Cards Released After Smothering Tithe’ - see you next time.
“This article is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.”
