Too-Specific Top 10 - (Last) Year In Review

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gloom Pangolin" href="#" target="_blank">Gloom Pangolin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tangyw">YW Tang</a>)</h6>
<h1>The Night is Dark and Full of Nightmares</h1>
<p>For the civilians who live on <em>Ikoria</em>, black mana is literally nightmare fuel. The base creature type for the color in the set is Nightmare, and this setting has nearly doubled the number of them in <em>Magic</em>. Today I'm reviewing all of the chittering and stalking horrors that lie in the dark spots of this plane, but it is our place to manipulate these beasts to instill fear in our opponents. Let's get started!</p>
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<h2>Rares</h2>
<hr />
<h3>Dirge Bat</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dirge Bat"></div></div>
<p>I really enjoy <em>Mutate</em> as a concept. I find the design ambitious and fun, but for many of the cards I'm left wanting more. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dirge Bat" href="#" target="_blank">Dirge Bat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, unfortunately, no exception to that sentiment. The allure of <em>Mutate</em> is the potential to create a super creature that towers above the battlefield and can shift at any moment! However, despite the grandiose plays that may come from this mechanic, I think the Bat offers very little to decks that aren't looking to maximize its the mechanic. At base rate, the Bat is a french vanilla 3/3 flyer that has flash. That isn't good enough for me to consider.</p>
<p>So why should be play it? For six mana, we can <em>Mutate</em> another creature at instant speed, and, if its successful, we get to fire off a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While I think that the <em>Mutate</em> commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otrimi, the Ever-Playful" href="#" target="_blank">Otrimi, the Ever-Playful</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will get use out of this, that's too much for most everyone else. It's most useful to repeat this ability, which requires a very committed theme. For other decks, I don't think I would play this over the variants we already have access to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraska&#039;s Contempt" href="#" target="_blank">Vraska&#039;s Contempt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eat to Extinction" href="#" target="_blank">Eat to Extinction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all accomplish this effect for cheaper, and I don't think I'd want to pay more mana to risk even having a chance for this to be blown out.</p>
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<h3>Extinction Event</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Extinction Event"></div></div>
<p>It's been a while since we've seen such a powerful board wipe make its way through Standard. Gone are the days of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Day of Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Day of Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as adding limitations to have cheaper Wraths has become the norm. I think this is one of the broader ones we've seen. Yes, there will be situations where this misses cards, but I think those will be outweighed by the ability to exile everything else. Being able to wipe a token deck off the board is also a big plus. This reminds me a lot of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightmare Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Nightmare Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Commander 2019</em> because we're picking one side or the other. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightmare Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Nightmare Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> currently sees play in... only a paltry 1,300 decks? That's a discussion for another time, but wow, that's way too low.</p>
<p>13 of the Top 20 most played commanders from the last two years have an even converted mana cost. This hits powerful creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kess, Dissident Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kess, Dissident Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meren of Clan Nel Toth" href="#" target="_blank">Meren of Clan Nel Toth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I think this has a home in plenty of decks, but I do think that it'll have to compete in decks that don't have white in them. White is still the king of versatile board wipes, but these new cards are giving black decks some much-needed tools.</p>
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<h3>Hunted Nightmare</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Nightmare"></div></div>
<p>It's always fun to see throwbacks to classic <em>Magic</em> cards. Including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Wumpus" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Wumpus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, "Hunted" cards give our opponents a benefit in return for a powerful creature that hits above its weight class. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Nightmare" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Nightmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the newest addition to the family, but instead of deploying token creatures, we give an opponent's creature a deathtouch counter. Keyword counters are one of<em> Ikoria</em>'s new mechanics, and this is the only card that puts these solely on an opposing creature. While there are political plays to be made by giving an opponent a boost in protection, we're walking away from the deal with a three-mana 4/5. While that's a sizeable beater for the cost, I'm not sure how much that's worth it. Menace does make the deal more enticing, but I think I'll leave this one to the non-singleton constructed formats.</p>
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<h2>Uncommons &amp; Commons</h2>
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<h3>Bastion of Remembrance</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion of Remembrance"></div></div>
<p>Hmm. Where have I seen this effect before...?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cruel Celebrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vindictive Vampire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Poison-Tip Archer"></div></div>
<p>And these are only the three most recent. These effects are staples of the Aristocrat archetype. Ever since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> released years after <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's felt like one or two of these new effects have been released each year. However, unlike many of its predecessors, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an enchantment. Most of these effects have already moved out of the realm of counting their own death (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Poison-Tip Archer" href="#" target="_blank">Poison-Tip Archer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> says 'another', for example), so losing the creature type for a more resilient permanent type is an exchange I'm willing to make. Harder to reanimate, but harder to kill, too. And besides, it makes its own token! This isn't a flashy card, but it's a welcome addition to an established and powerful archetype, and will likely fare better than the more expensive versions like the Vampire.</p>
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<h3>Call of the Death-Dweller</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Call of the Death-Dweller"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call of the Death-Dweller" href="#" target="_blank">Call of the Death-Dweller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a unique modal reanimation spell. While we can only revive small creatures, I'm excited to see this design. If we maximize the converted mana costs, it's effectively half of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruesome Menagerie" href="#" target="_blank">Gruesome Menagerie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the added benefit of putting keyword counters on the creature(s) we choose to bring back. For keywords, themselves, deathtouch and menace are both strong, though the former is more universal. Menace can be okay, but you need a very low-to-the-ground aggro deck to make the most of it. That's the icing on the cake, though; making our creatures better is ancillary to bringing them back from the yard.</p>
<p>The most common use case for this card will likely be to bring back a single two-cost or three-cost creature. Three-drop creatures are often powerful and utilitarian, and getting extra value from this helps to win games. One-drops are somewhat rare outside of mana dorks, but getting one (or two) back after a Wrath is good value. You're playing those low-to-the ground cards for a reason, after all. Reanimation is already incredibly efficient in Commander, so it's hard for this to make the cut, but the potential to bring back multiple creatures at once may be worth testing.</p>
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<h3>Heartless Act</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartless Act"></div></div>
<p>Efficiently costed removal? I'm intrigued. Around 5% of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/creatures">Top 100 creatures</a> according to EDHREC can put counters on themselves, which leaves the rest vulnerable. While many decks incidentally run cards with counters, unless you're facing a deck that's dedicated to the craft, you'll often be able to kill them with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartless Act" href="#" target="_blank">Heartless Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Otherwise, you can strip three counters off a creature.</p>
<p>That second mode is really intriguing, actually. When I read the word "counter," the immediate resonance is with +1/+1 counters, and then to their negative counterparts. This spell doesn't specify what type of counters you must remove, which certainly makes it a hoser for keyword counters, but also gives it a strange role as a support piece. Remove any -1/-1 counters from your own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devoted Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Devoted Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or from your own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed" href="#" target="_blank">Mikaeus, the Unhallowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> bring something else back again by getting rid of the <em>Undying </em>counter. Activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thing in the Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Thing in the Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> much sooner than people expect. Remove three counters from a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lost Auramancers" href="#" target="_blank">Lost Auramancers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronozoa" href="#" target="_blank">Chronozoa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thief of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Thief of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampire Hexmage" href="#" target="_blank">Vampire Hexmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are altogether probably heavier hitters, but this is also a removal spell that might occasionally create opportunities for some quite unexpected plays that will really rile your enemies. You can ruin the pillowfort player's day by removing Filibuster counters from an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azor&#039;s Elocutors" href="#" target="_blank">Azor&#039;s Elocutors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you're a fan of silver-bordered <em>Magic,</em> you can also ruin the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baron Von Count" href="#" target="_blank">Baron Von Count</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player's entire evening. Most color combinations that include black already have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminate" href="#" target="_blank">Terminate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and other such removal spells that don't have restrictions on which creatures they can destroy, but if you're also able take advantage of removing the counters from your own creatures, give this a shot.</p>
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<h3>Insatiable Hemophage</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Insatiable Hemophage"></div></div>
<p>For the <em>Mutate</em> decks out there, three mana is right where you want to be. While draining each opponent for one and gaining one isn't the best rate for the mana, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insatiable Hemophage" href="#" target="_blank">Insatiable Hemophage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers the potential to continually scale as you stack the chain of evolutions higher. Really, this is more of a bonus than anything, as paying upwards of six to ten mana to get two of these triggers isn't worth it, especially since it means you'll be stacking so many cards into one pile where one removal spell will ruin your day. Having deathtouch for a cheaper <em>Mutate</em> cost is why you're playing this card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otrimi, the Ever-Playful" href="#" target="_blank">Otrimi, the Ever-Playful</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be playing this card, regardless, but having a few cheaper triggers for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nethroi, Apex of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Nethroi, Apex of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't be turned away, either.</p>
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<h3>Void Beckoner</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Void Beckoner"></div></div>
<p>Not much to write home about for most decks, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullbriar, the Walking Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Skullbriar, the Walking Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is making out like a bandit in this set. Give it this deathtouch counter and a trample counter and it'll be mowing enemies down for days.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Serrated Scorpion</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serrated Scorpion"></div></div>
<p>Tribal synergies aside, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serrated Scorpion" href="#" target="_blank">Serrated Scorpion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nearly strictly better version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tattered Mummy" href="#" target="_blank">Tattered Mummy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While the Mummy, itself, is only included in around 700 decks, this effect seems strong enough at one mana to find a few niche homes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shirei, Shizo&#039;s Caretaker" href="#" target="_blank">Shirei, Shizo&#039;s Caretaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance, is <em>extremely </em>excited to loop this every turn. There might also be a few <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakdos, Lord of Riots" href="#" target="_blank">Rakdos, Lord of Riots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Judith, the Scourge Diva" href="#" target="_blank">Judith, the Scourge Diva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> builds that would want cheap sacrifice fodder.</p>
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<h2>End of this Ikorian Nightmare</h2>
<p>What are your thoughts on the black cards from <em>Ikoria? </em>Have you already made room for any of these new cards? Are you excited for <em>Mutate</em>? Are you planning to slam any of these cards into the new <em>Commander 2020</em> decks? Let us know!</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>


bastion of remembrance

Too-Specific Top 10 - (Last) Year In Review

Ikoria Set Review - Black