(Invasion of Alara | Art by Mathias Kollros)

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Planeshift into Invasion Against Better Judgment

Greetings and salutations! I'm happy to join you in this analysis of a new and exciting card type: battles! And in this particular opus, Sieges. I gotta say, it's impressive what Wizards of the Coast will do to stretch Tarmogoyf a bit more!

At any rate, let's have a look at what these oddities actually are.

• They're permanents that can be cast when the stack is empty.
• You choose a player to defend that card. That player will be able to block incoming creatures that would damage it, while other players will be free to attack it.
• Each battle comes in with a certain number of defense counters that are removed when taking damage, just like you would do with loyalty counters for planeswalkers.
• When the last counter is removed, you exile the card and cast it transformed on its other side, reaping the eventual benefits.

A few things to keep in mind, for potential synergies.

• They will transform only when the last counter is removed, not if they are destroyed.
• You remain the controller of the battle, even if you don't defend it.

Well, that's a lot to chew, before even getting down to what these battles actually do! Speaking of which, what do these cards do? Let's get into it!

Mythics

Invasion of Alara

While I had mixed feelings when I first read this card, I have slowly come around. Sure, it won't fit everywhere, as it will be limited to five-color decks. Yes, the initial effect is decent while not mind-blowing. Of course, 7 defense is a hefty amount to take down. And yet, there are a couple of things that really make me want to give it a chance.

First, the effect when you finally take it down is rad. This card basically has it all: draw, a free artifact, permanent copy, creature boost, blowing up a problem. In a way, this reminds me a lot of Last Stand. If you can somehow manage to return the battle to the field and repeat the process, you're in for serious card advantage.

Second, the designated home for this card: Ramos, Dragon Engine. With Ramos on the field, that's straight up 5 counters on cast, and another 5 when the battle is taken down, as Awaken the Maestrom is indeed being cast. This could very well happen in the same turn if your Dragon is able to attack.

Third, the flavor. The ability on the battle side strongly reminds of Cascade, only better.

Card's rad. I look forward to trying this thing out.

Invasion of New Phyrexia

Well, well, well, looks like the tables have turned, taking the fight to the invaders' home plane.

This battle is very impressive. Getting a bunch of 2/2s with vigilance for one mana apiece (not counting the pips) can easily populate a board, especially late game. If you choose an opponent with little to defend it with, you could use that very force to take down the battle quickly.

The other side is no pushover either. Teferi doing Teferi things, I suppose. The starting loyalty is high enough, the draw ability is more than decent, the emblem can grow the Knights created previously into a force to be reckoned with, and the last ability can get rid of a problematic permanent with relative ease, provided the mana value isn't too high.

I think this will wind up being pretty restricted to Knight decks, like the new Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir, although The Council of Four really likes Knight tokens, too!

Oh, and in Limited, this is a game-winning bomb.

Invasion of Ravnica

Am I the only one finding it ironic that the card based on Ravnica is colorless? I would have expected that honor to befall on Zendikar rather, with all the shenanigans from the Eldrazi.

Still, the abilities are excellent. Paying five mana to exile something is quite a high price to pay, but one that colorless Commander players are accustomed to. Actually, given the popularity of Duplicant in blink decks like Brago, King Eternal or Aminatou, the Fateshifter, it's clear this enters-the-battlefield effect is pretty appealing to a ton of players out there.

The card truly shines on its other side. In a dedicated multicolored deck, it will not only keep your hand filled with action, but also allow you to find the exact solution you need. I'm thinking not only of the aforementioned Ramos but also of General Ferrous Rokiric or Rienne, Angel of Rebirth. Provided you play enough two-colored spells (say, 20-25?), this could easily become the best draw engine of your deck.

Invasion of Tarkir

Oh, would you look at that, a Dragon-themed card for Tarkir. Who could have seen that coming???

All sarcasm aside, the only thing that redeems this battle is its teeny tiny cost. Drop it early, smack it while defenses are low, and you could end up with a potential creature in the first few turns. Or play it later in the game, smack it with your flyers already on the field, and flip it over into a Gatling gun that will mow down resistance all around. Easy to understand. Straightforward and efficient. The main problem is that most Dragon decks are already full to the brim with excellent cards, so it'd be hard to justify cutting cards to make room for this one since it's a lot more situational than Dragons' usual fare. It's cool, though! Not anything I'd lose my head about, but if you make room for it, it'll be a very fun inclusion for any Dragon deck.

Invasion of Shandalar

Well, that brings back memories. I loved the video game when it came out back in 1997, and the successive modding that added a boatload of content.

This card has green screaming all over it. Sure, it's a green card, so it makes sense, but it's greener than most green cards today. It reminds me of Regrowth and Eternal Witness and Creeping Renaissance and Reap and... dang, did you know there are actually 112 cards in green with the text 'return' and 'graveyard' on them? At any rate, that's decent card advantage, as well as a way to play the same cards twice.

The other side, though, is no laughing matter. Put a permanent on the battlefield for free on each of your upkeeps. I'm looking at you, Big Green Beaters. I'm looking at you, Sea Monsters. I'm looking at you too, Dragons. Much like Elvish Piper, Court of Bounty, and consorts, this could allow you to get out of hand quickly. Maybe by throwing in one of those threats you so conveniently just got back into your hand? Yes I'm a Timmy, and I'm proud of it.

Invasion of Innistrad

Hm, a bit of a grim note here. I'm not a fan of the Innistrad mythic. The theme is spot on, with a nice throwback to Tragic Slip and ways to make Zombos upon transformation. The cost is just too steep for my taste: four mana for creature-specific pinpoint removal is a tough sell, even if there's additional upside. If you manage to transform it, then two tokens is nice, but three mana to make more of them is, again, a big cost. This may find its way into Zombie decks that flood the board very naturally - Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver, to be specific - but in my opinion, Zombie strategies are another extremely well-established archetype, so it's hard to make room for cards like this, even when they look really cool.

Rares

Invasion of Arcavios

Welcome to Strixhaven, they said. You'll learn powerful magics, they said. The teachers are nice, they said! Rhaaaargh!!!

Well, gone are the teachers, only Phyrexians remain. While on paper, this battle looks decent, I don't foresee this getting a ton of play. Five mana is a lot for a tutor, even more so for one restricted to instants and sorceries. I'll award it one point for the possibility to get something back from exile.

The ability to copy each subsequent spell on the other half is nice, but we already have less convoluted ways to achieve the same result, and 7 defense is a lot to go through. Class dismissed.

Invasion of Segovia

The last time I heard of Segovia was on this small fry. Let's skim quickly on the front side. Making a couple of 1/1s with trample is cute, but not terribly impressive. Maybe Mutate decks will like those tokens? I'm not sure. I'm glad this card has only 4 defense, though.

The transformed version is much more interesting. These tokens will come to good use to cast your more expensive spells, prior to being untapped. You could also use the last ability to give pseudo vigilance to your bigger behemoths, or even help out a comrade in a dire situation by untapping one or more of their creatures. Heck, you could even go as far as untapping four Persistent Petitioners to mill more cards! I can't imagine a Petitioners deck would defeat this battle in the first place, but still! I think it's fair to say this card has a lot of untapped potential. 😉

Invasion of Fiora

Conspiracy 1 & 2 were among my favorite sets in the past 10 years. Trivia time: did you know that Conspiracy foils are among the easiest to erase with a piece of cloth and some acetone?

You probably don't want to use that nasty chemical on this nice battle though, especially since it'll erase the field all on its own. It's right at home in 'legends matter' decks, like Dihada, Binder of Wills, Jodah, the Unifier, and Kethis, the Hidden Hand, of course. It's also just a decent board wipe in general for any deck that wants to get rid of a chunk of enemy nonsense but preserve your own commander.

The other side opens up interesting paths as well. The counter-removing feature isn't often seen, but it could be an efficient way to deal with some annoying targets, such as planeswalkers, or other battles, or removing -1/-1 counters, or resetting your own Sagas. Hey, why not try getting a Marit Lage of your own, or some other scary monster?

While it's a shame she can't be our commander, this card has wonderful territory to explore.

Invasion of Gobakhan

Not much to say about this battle. I've never heard of Gobakhan, aside from its diamond sandstorms. Sounds quite nasty to go through.

The first ability is not really useful in Commander, except in some niche and desperate cases. The second one looks decent in token decks, boosting your troops and giving you a telegraphed Heroic Intervention to save your board. Maybe if you found a way to recur it? I don't think it's worth the effort though. Let's just pass on this one.

Invasion of Ikoria

Ooooh, now we're talking. Ikoria is a place of monsters and never fails to impress.

In this case, both sides of the battle are equally impressive. The first half will tutor a major threat straight to the battlefield. Granted, the mana investment to get something relevant is hefty, but it's a green card, come on, ramp up! We already play Finale of Devastation and Green Sun's Zenith in this format, after all!

On the other side, Zilortha will make sure you drive the point home by making all of your creatures virtually unblockable, as well as boasting an impressive 8/8 stat line. With reach! If you feel sneaky, you could use this early on to get a mana dork or a Dryad Arbor, work on quickly taking it down, and eventually wind up with a major menace on the field.

Again, I feel this will eat games in Limited, but it's worth serious consideration in our format as well.

Invasion of Ixalan

Dig five cards deep, get a permanent, then mow this thing down for a 4/3 trampling potentially indestructible Dino. Hm. A bit lackluster, innit?

The card selection is decent, but other similar spells do it better. The way I see it, these types of cards already lean towards creature-heavy decks, so you might as well play Winding Way, Adventure Awaits, or Lead the Stampede. Even cards like Commune with the Gods help fill your graveyard for later recursion shenanigans instead of shipping the unselected cards to the bottom of your library. This feels more like a Limited or Standard card to me. Sorry, Ixalan, Ikoria has you beat.

Invasion of Kaldheim

More impulse draw, yay! This card has advantage written all over it. Exile your hand to draw a fresh one, but you can still play what you remove until your next turn? Sign me up! Sure, this is more like Winds of Change than Wheel of Fortune, but with at least four cards in hand, it still feels like a solid bargain. There are so many commanders that care about casting things from exile nowadays: Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald, Prosper, Tome-Bound, Passionate Archaeologist, Laelia, the Blade Reforged....

When flipped, the Seismic Assault ability will help make use of your unneeded lands, and provide even more gas to boot. Mono-red and 'lands matter' decks will definitely be thrilled by this addition. I have a feeling we'll see a lot of this neat package in the months to come.

Invasion of Karsus

I don't know exactly where Karsus is, but if the plane's anything like the effects of this battle, it certainly looks lively. The three damage for four mana is clearly not great. For that mana cost, we already have the much more effective Chain Reaction. Still, played relatively early, I suppose that damage could open a path to take down its defense counters.

When transformed, this turns into spellslinging paradise. In a way it's very similar to the infamous Guttersnipe, except this works for all your spells. Plus, the built-in protection, while not exactly a great disincentive in Commander, is a nice flavorful touch. Meria and her myriad of cheap trinkets are going to love slugging down life totals, as will any decks focused on cantrips or cheap critters. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell sure makes the damage feel a lot more brutal! Tor Wauki the Younger could be another contender, too, although you have to make sure he's not in play when this first hits the field. Maybe Feather, the Redeemed will have the best time surviving the damage and flipping this thing over to start dishing out more damage.

Invasion of Theros

So, I know what you think. This is the perfect card to build an Oyster theme deck around. Nothing to be ashamed of, I went there too.

Seriously though, this is a generous addition to any enchantment decks. Sythis, Sram and Mazzy, if only to quote a few, never scoff at more card draw. This could also find a room in any Esika, God of the Tree deck, as the tutor can fetch fellow Gods and becomes a God herself. All for the price of an Idyllic Tutor. Nice.

Invasion of Tolvada

To end this section, we're back in necromancy territory. I'm a bit sad that you can't recur other battles with it, but the reanimation of any other kind of permanent makes up for it. I suppose it would have been too easy to find a combo to abuse it.

The transformation provides a neat token buffer that will boost your army and give it lifelink to boot. I also like that it gives you the token on your end step and not at your upkeep. Bitterblossom it is not, but I'm sure this fun card will find a room in Piru, the Volatile, Felisa, Fang of Silverquill, and Thalisse, Reverent Medium, to name a few.

Uncommons & Commons

Invasion of Dominaria

Four life and a card is not great for three mana, and five defense is a lot to go through, but I don't care. I love Serra Angel, and her Faithkeeper counterpart is more than enough to make me happy. What can I say, I'm a man of simple tastes. This card isn't good, you shouldn't play it, but I'm going to, dang it!

Invasion of Mercadia

Nothing fancy here, and yet I feel like this battle has a lot of potential. I'll never refuse another "discard one draw two" effect in red. In addition, the ability to create tokens and boost all of your friends has me smiling. This thing is skippable draft chaff, but maybe I'll sneak room for this in my Ovika, Enigma Goliath deck.

Invasion of New Capenna

While it does require a sacrifice and can only be played at sorcery speed, this spell exiles stuff for a puny two mana. That alone wouldn't be enough, but the boost the transformed Equipment provides makes it worth a try in my eyes. All the same black-white tokens decks I named earlier for Invasion of Tolvada apply here, too, especially if you can sacrifice a simple Treasure to exile someone else's big creature.

Invasion of Regatha

I see several uses for this neat package. The one damage dealt to a creature is anecdotal, but the four damage to a player, not quite so. This will work perfectly well in group slug decks. I'm looking at you, Solphim, Mayhem Dominus and Torbran, Thane of Red Fell. While the output on the front alone is worth consideration, the boost given to noncreature sources when transformed is a boon in these decks. And it has Prowess as well? Gross.

Invasion of Zendikar

A Migration Path with added benefits, and a tiny defense. This will find a room in several Landfall decks, most significantly Omnath, Locus of Rage, who can flip it over super easily and who loves more Elementals. Even outside of the lands archetype, this is a solid ramp package all around. I have a hunch I'm going to hoard and play lot of these.

Siege You Later!

I walked in this review full with doubt, but I emerge brimming with faith. While not all battles are worth considering, I feel that the variety is broad enough to intrigue almost every kind of player. The effects are fun, they demand interaction, and they sometimes yield major rewards. I wonder how long we'll have to wait before Wizards gives us a battle-centric commander?

On to you, then! I would love to hear your opinions on this new card type. Will you add any to your existing decks? Have you devised sneaky-nasty combos already? Which one has you excited the most, and why is it Invasion of Ikoria? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks for sticking with me till the end!

Arnaud Gompertz

Arnaud Gompertz has been playing Magic since 4th Edition, back in 1995. He's been an assiduous EDH enthusiast since 2012, with a soft spot for unusual and casual Commanders. He'll always favour spectacular plays against a boring path to victory. Aside from mistreating cardboard, he's a dedicated board games player, loves a challenging video game and occasionally tries to sing with his choir.