Hidden Gems, What's yours?

[Ulka]

My big hidden gems are kinda more known but often looked over cards

I'm a huge Berserk user but not often for a voltron strike but rather as 1 mana instant speed creature removal. While it drops off when you have less players in a 4 man game using it to surprise remove a threatening creature while also letting them hit for more damage on another player is always a fun time in my book.

Wild Research is one of my all-time favorite cards and honestly Its something I'm surprised more people don't use. When paired with Mistveil Plains it becomes a solid way to tutor answers up while also becoming an engine when combined with Spell Crumple.

Lastly my hidden gem is Voidmage Husher. While this card used to see a lot of play I think Im one of two people i've seen run it in recent years and I just love the card. Being able to stop fetches, Commander abilities, and many other things makes it a star in my heart.

[materpillar]

Lastly my hidden gem is Voidmage Husher. While this card used to see a lot of play I think Im one of two people i've seen run it in recent years and I just love the card. Being able to stop fetches, Commander abilities, and many other things makes it a star in my heart.

Power creep has housed this card really badly. There's almost no reason to run this over Stifle. A 2/2 body is pretty irrelevant and there's almost no world where you'll actually get to bounce it and recast it to house someone else.

That being said I have a foil, artist signed copy that's staying in Chromium until the day I die because the art is so fantastic.

[pokken]

re Voidmage Husher

Power creep has housed this card really badly. There's almost no reason to run this over Stifle. A 2/2 body is pretty irrelevant and there's almost no world where you'll actually get to bounce it and recast it to house someone else.

If it cost 2u I would have kept it in Ephara forever, just for that interaction, but man 4 is just too much

[Ulka]

If it cost 2u I would have kept it in Ephara forever, just for that interaction, but man 4 is just too much

RE: Voidmage Husher

Yea it has gotten worse over the years with creep but I have it in two decks the utilize it heavily, a 4 color draw go control with a ton of ramp and my Keruga, the Macrosage deck where everything is overcosted but the deck still runs quite well with lower powered tables.

[ISBPathfinder]

Volcanic Torrent I feel like this card got very little attention. Its a newer card and sure its in a lot of cases just a pyroclasm but if your deck is heavily proactive then a lot of your spells can be cast at any time. Its sort of like a pyroclasm that draws and casts another spell so you sort of get a cantrip ish thing to it and cast that as well as pyroclasming or better just your opponents board. The fact that it doesn't hit your board and it even hits opposing planeswalkers ohhh man I love this card and I feel like it slid right in under the radar.

[Jemolk]

Here's a fun pillowfort-y old card that no one seems to use (I've never run across anyone else who plays it): Dream Fighter. Of course, it pretty heavily depends on the threats being combat-based and nonflying, but it doesn't care at all about trample, so if you've got problems with a Blightsteel Colossus, this little guy will shut it down pretty much for good, single-handedly no less, if he gets on the table.

For mutate decks, Rainbow Efreet is an amazing effect to have.

And of course, because phasing is becoming a more prevalent protection mechanic again, and because I just suggested two fun phasing cards, I would be remiss to not mention the one card that hoses phasing as a potential hidden gem: Spatial Binding. For when you'd really not have your wraths get blown out by Teferi's Protection, or the creature being protected by Vanishing or Robe of Stars (or having a Rainbow Efreet in the mutate pile) keeps being that little bit too annoying.

[pokken]

Man all that phasing stuff reminds me of teferis veil. Man I loved that card in enchantress to dodge sweepers

[Treamayne]

Man all that phasing stuff reminds me of teferis veil. Man I loved that card in enchantress to dodge sweepers

Awesome. I use Teferi's Veil as a gambit in my Karona, False God avatar deck, especially when I don't want to share or the opponent is running a lot of sac effects to remove Karona.

[Ulka]

man Teferi's Veil that takes me back. I used to use it in my Edric, Spymaster of Trest deck of all places to help protect against boardwipes and further to allow me to bounce all creatures post combat with cards like Evacuation or Wash Out. Then again this was a deck I had back in 2014ish

[Ruiner]

Sticking with all of the phasing recommendations, I'm a fan of Vodalian Illusionist. It can be a good deterrent for enemies swinging at you, saves things from board wipes, interferes with creature based combos, makes Seedborn Muse do nothing, etc.,. Versatile little creature.

[Jemolk]

I love phasing so much, and I'm so happy to see other people recommending cards like Vodalian Illusionist. Okay, one more. Reality Ripple. That little card catches so many people by surprise and overperforms in so many scenarios. The flavor text is just kind of perfect for what happens when you cast it, too. Who can plan for one of their key combo pieces getting abruptly phased out? It can even hit lands. But it can also be used defensively, to phase out one of your things that's being targeted by removal, or in the event of a wrath you can save your best creature, even if it's an exiling or tucking wrath.

Speaking of blowing people out, Wing Shards can be absolutely hilarious for that, given the right home. Doesn't kill combos, but it can definitely cause lots of problems in combat.

Finally, a more recent find of mine, since I've just recently built a couple mono-red decks and got to play them for the first time this past weekend -- Flowstone Slide. A scalable mono-red wrath that kills indestructibles can be absolutely hilarious in the right deck. Mono-red dragons, for instance, where you may well be able to set the X to massively pump your creatures while killing everyone else's.

[3drinks]

Okay, one more. Reality Ripple. That little card catches so many people by surprise and overperforms in so many scenarios. The flavor text is just kind of perfect for what happens when you cast it, too. Who can plan for one of their key combo pieces getting abruptly phased out? It can even hit lands. But it can also be used defensively, to phase out one of your things that's being targeted by removal, or in the event of a wrath you can save your best creature, even if it's an exiling or tucking wrath.

Remember when people used this (and Sapphire Charm) in legacy targeting Germ tokens to make Batterskulls indirectly phase out but fail to phase back in because the Germ stopped existing, so WotC had to make errata special for this interaction?

[Ruiner]

Speaking of blowing people out, Wing Shards can be absolutely hilarious for that, given the right home. Doesn't kill combos, but it can definitely cause lots of problems in combat.

That's a fun card to bluff with if people know you run it. Just silently start counting spells played out using your fingers or a die, if questioned say "just counting how many spells have been played so far". I've definitely had that work to deter attacks, or people will think you are bluffing when you have it and run straight into it, which is always funny.

[Krishnath]

I hate that this card is $36. What the heck, r/mtgfinance...................... this is why I'm not sad about mpcautofill existing.

The reserved list strikes again.

[Outcryqq]

Not sure if he's hidden enough, but I really like Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. In green creature-based decks, it provides a win condition via the repeated Overrun effect, and it also provides the rare utility to help destroy lands. Someone's Cabal Coffers threatening to end the game? You can collude with others to animate and then use any old creature removal on it. I really like Kamahl's versatility.

[cheonice]

Oh, Kamahl is really great! It's an army-in-a-can, a wincon, wrath protection, land removal.

I really like Knight of the Reliquary, too. She's a threat and a tutor but somewhat flies under the radar as long as you aren't fetching Cabal Coffers or Gaea's Cradle. In Bant-based landfall decks she can become a combo piece with Retreat to Coralhelm. Does anybody remember the Modern Knightfall deck? :D Janky, but so! much! fun!

[Treamayne]

Not sure if he's hidden enough, but I really like Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. . . Someone's Cabal Coffers threatening to end the game? You can collude with others to animate and then use any old creature removal on it. I really like Kamahl's versatility.

That's why I like pairing Kamahl with Krosan Vorine (and similar). Just straight Lure effects draw too many blockers - but provoke-like effects...

[cheonice]

That's why I like pairing Kamahl with Krosan Vorine (and similar). Just straight Lure effects draw too many blockers - but provoke-like effects...

That's neat! This triggers so many memories of Mono G Onslaught Casual "Ramp." With the prevalence of Fight I don't think, we will see provoke again...

[offspring]

My suggestion would be Sudden Substitution. It's still pretty new, but I don't see it that much and it's quite cheap. Card is an absolute allstar in my Braids, Conjurer Adept deck. When you have something irrelevant to give away it's fantastic, but even exchanging control of a creature an opponent controls and the spell of another opponent can be both hilarious and game changing. It's very hard to interact with because of the split second, really efficiënt and a ton of fun.

[Lifeless]

Not sure if he's hidden enough, but I really like Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. In green creature-based decks, it provides a win condition via the repeated Overrun effect, and it also provides the rare utility to help destroy lands. Someone's Cabal Coffers threatening to end the game? You can collude with others to animate and then use any old creature removal on it. I really like Kamahl's versatility.

Kamahl is still one of the premiere rattlesnakes in the format. People do tend to forget about him but he deserves a spot as wrath protection and finisher in every G ramp deck.

[vandertroll]

I am style amazed by how rarely I encounter Curse of the Swine in mono blue or blue based decks. At worst the card reads: pay 3 and exile a creature. I get that Cyclonic Rift is the premium blue "wipe" but I like the flexibility of curse.

[pokken]

I am style amazed by how rarely I encounter Curse of the Swine in mono blue or blue based decks. At worst the card reads: pay 3 and exile a creature. I get that Cyclonic Rift is the premium blue "wipe" but I like the flexibility of curse.

The sorcery type is why I rarely use it. Don't tend to play removal that targets but can't stop combos

[vandertroll]

In monocolored decks I like playing cards like Apostle's Blessing and Ranger's Guile to protect my commanders or combo pieces from cheap removal. Also, Wrap in Vigor does a decent imitation of Heroic Intervention!

[Krishnath]

I am kinda fond of Angelic Purge. It is pretty good in both reanimation decks, and any token deck with white.

[PrimevalCommander]

I am kinda fond of Angelic Purge . It is pretty good in both reanimation decks, and any token deck with white.

FIFY