[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Urza's Ruinous Blast

[The_Hittite]

m-a-y-b-e an astrology themed deck (?)

5 color Constellation.dec? I've heard of worse themes for casual EDH.

[Jemolk]

Alternate hot take: Chromatic Orrery is 100% certified jank. That's why it's good. Jank is a positive. Jank is fun, and making it work is a lot more satisfying than just playing generically powerful cards. I can pretty much guarantee that this would be more interesting to play than the Planar Bridge mentioned earlier, for example, because it won't homogenize games.

[Dunadain]

Idk, I've been really impressed by it in my safana deck I just made (link in sig). But that deck is built around Clock of Omens and treasures, which means it's not too hard to cast, and it produces a heck of a lot more than 5 magna a turn.

[Mookie]

I've been wanting to pick up a Chromatic Orrery for my Sharuum the Hegemon deck, but I can't really justify the price tag. Still, I could see myself running it if it were more affordable - it's not the most threatening reanimation target to cheat out, but it can generate a ton of mana with stuff like Clock of Omens and Manifold Key. Alternatively, if you already have plenty of mana, you can turn it into card draw. It will perform better in 4/5C decks, but even just drawing 3 cards isn't that bad.

...more broadly, I see it as the next logical step up the chain after Mind Stone // Hedron Matrix // Dreamstone Hedron. While I don't think any of those are necessarily staples, they do have a nice niche in ramp decks that are concerned about flooding out. I'll also call out their importance in Eldrazi decks like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, who generally want all the mana rocks they can get.

[Ardeyn]

It's a fun card. And its a lot more powerful than it looks - once on the field. I think, that's enough for a lot of people to like it.

I play it in my combo focused Derevi, Empyrial Tactician deck, where it wins with the commander and Blasting Station. Also, t's an engine + outlet for infinite Blinks with Emiel the Blessed or Deadeye Navigator with Derevi in my case, but also with any other untapper such as Zealous Conscripts or Deceiver Exarch.

Ardeyn

[3drinks]

Tuesday, September 6th, 2022; Ashen Rider

Even reanimate targets have been power crept. Angel of Despair|uma became uncommon while Ashen Rider was the hot mythic, and now even this got downshifted in favour of everyone's favourite Archon of Cruelty. What is Ashen Rider's place now that it's primary role has been displaced?

[Dunharrow]

I would still play Ashen rider. better at exiling multiple threats in a turn.
I used to run it as a 4 of in standard and would often get it down turn 4. Rescue from the Underworld was the reanimation spell and sometimes I would sac one, bring 2 back and that was the peak of my magic experience.

Archon of Cruelty is pretty good too, hope I open one in my boxes.

[PrimevalCommander]

Ashen Rider is still in my reanimator deck. I don't have an Archon of Cruelty yet, but I should definitely get one. Ashen Rider has more flexible removal, exiles, can hit multiple targets faster and holds a "Don't Kill Me" sign. Archon draws cards, discards cards, and skirts Hexproof, but Archon will never hit a Purphoros, God of the Forge or a Parallel Lives, and is also incentivized to attack the person already low on creatures, as the guy with the big board has fodder for the sac trigger. Also it holds up a billboard "KILL ME NOW".

Poor Angel of Despair though, I threw it in Sefris of the Hidden Ways looters since it has sentimental value to me, but Ashen Rider would fill the slot better in every way.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Angel of Despair still has value in Kaalia, and there's still a pretty significant gap between 7 and 8 mana.

That said, Ashen Rider is so much better, it's not funny.

[Mookie]

Ashen Rider is still an excellent reanimation target, but there is a lot of competition these days. Beyond the previously-mentioned Archon of Cruelty, you also have alternatives like Vilis, Broker of Blood, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, and Serra's Emissary. Still, I do like Ashen Rider - it isn't a massive threat like some of the other options, but it provides incredibly consistent (and flexible) value, and is annoying for opponents to deal with. It also works very well with blink / clone / sacrifice effects, and stuff like Sneak Attack. As a result, while I wouldn't expect it to be the first pick in a reanimator deck, I do think it's a nice option to have in a Buried Alive / Entomb / Gravebreaker Lamia toolbox.

[duducrash]

Ashen Rider as a unfair reanimation target is good. But there are many dumb creatures to be reanimated arround that are better, maybe in a more budget strategy. I think Ashen Rider is still good in decks that are fair and grindy. Karador, Ghost Chieftain or any abzan midrange deck that has GY synergies for example. Where you will get the value over and over

[3drinks]

Wednesday, September 7th, 2022; Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle

Such a fascinating card. I always loved the elegant design of it.

[Dunadain]

Wednesday, September 7th, 2022; Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle

Such a fascinating card. I always loved the elegant design of it.

I think it's a really cool design as well, but I can't think of a way to make it an interesting commander. It doesn't really provide direction, so it's just kinda simic good stuff.

[BeneTleilax]

I still think with all the lhurgoyfs, 3 is about the cutoff for an arbitrarily large non-trampling beaters, especially in green. It's a cool design, but it's simple enough to be outclassed by things like the aforementioned Terravore, which is hardly a powercrept staple itself.

[Mookie]

Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle feels a little bland as a commander. Having a ramp spell in the command zone isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't provide much of a direction other than 'cast big stuff'. Guaranteeing that you can ramp from 4 to 6 mana every game is nice if you want to pack your deck with expensive fatties, but you can also just run a bunch of ramp spells (and you probably will anyway). The other notable aspect of Arixmethes is that it's a four mana 12/12, which is big... but it also has no evasion, so you'll need find some trample or something.

I like Arixmethes a bit more in the 99, particularly in decks with heavy creature synergies. There are other creatures that tap for 2+ mana, but its resistance to removal makes it a lot more attractive if you're concerned about board wipes. The 'dies to Wasteland' thing is a bit awkward, but that's not a major concern for me, so it's a nice alternative to other four mana ramp spells if you're looking for a bit of spice. I'll call out that I've been interested in running it in my Animar Primal Surge deck, which otherwise disallows most premium ramp spells - there aren't that many creatures that can ramp 2+ lands onto the battlefield, and this is pretty much the next-best thing.

[Chromaticus]

I think it's pretty sweet to leave this guy at 1 counter until after a board wipe. As a commander, double strike on a clear board is a one-shot.

[hyalopterouslemur]

I mean, it triggers landfall as well, and it taps for two mana of different colors. (The different colors makes it different from, say, Fyndhorn Elder.)

Needs trample to be a real beater.

[Jemolk]

Was going to make Arixmethes sea monsters, and then Runo Stromkirk was spoiled, and I decided that was more my speed and changed directions. (In case you were wondering, "my speed" in commander is "very slow." I prefer grindy decks to aggressive ones.)

[DirkGently]

He's not as aimless as people think imo.

For one thing, there are multiple infinite combos he can do, with auras that untap him for 1 mana.

As mentioned, with 12 power and the ability to become a creature somewhat unexpectedly, he works very nicely after a board wipe if you leave him at 1 counter.

I found it pretty nifty to have a powerful land always available to combine with untaps. Anything that untaps a land reliably taps for 2.

It's also just a really strong curve. Play a lot of 2-mana ramp, then you've got a guaranteed explosive veg on turn 3, into a 7 mana turn 4 with very little effort. You can plan your curve around that, running a bunch of powerful 7-drops etc.

Efficient beaters outside the CZ kinda suck because you can't really build a plan around them. Serra Ascendant is great and all, but unless your plan is an aggro beatdown, a lot of the time it hits someone a couple times then dies to a board wipe without really advancing your strategy. Put an efficient beater in the CZ, though, and now you can sculpt your strategy around it, by having ways to set it up for a win.

If you build your deck around Terravore and don't draw it, it sucks. If you build your deck around putting lands into the graveyard, terravore probably doesn't really help that plan because the other pieces are probably more about pulling those lands out of the graveyard and into play, and even if the lands stay there you probably aren't trying to beat down, so he doesn't advance your plan. Including cards just to setup the terravore would be a waste of time. But with Arixmethes, he's reliable, so he can be your plan, and you can use the other cards in the deck to figure out to get him through in combat.

[3drinks]

Thursday, September 8th, 2022; Miren, the Moaning Well

[Mookie]

There are a lot of colorless utility lands out there, but most decks can only afford to play a small number of them, so the competition is pretty steep. I think Miren, the Moaning Well is in a somewhat awkward spot as a result, largely because it's competing against the much more efficient High Market. If you only care about the sacrifice, then the cheaper activation cost makes High Market much more attractive. Similarly, it's a cheaper way to trigger Karlov of the Ghost Council or other cards that specifically care about lifegain triggers. The main draw for Miren is thus if you care about the magnitude of your lifegain - sacrificing something like Evra, Halcyon Witness and doubling your life total is pretty sweet, as is the ability to potentially one-shot someone with Sanguine Bond.

...I suppose one other upside of Miren is that it's legendary, which may be relevant for legend-matters decks like Ratadrabik of Urborg. Most of those decks care more about legendary creatures, but fetching it off Thalia's Lancers isn't bad.

I'll call out Diamond Valley as an alternative, although since it doesn't natively tap for mana, it doesn't quite qualify for the 'colorless utility land' slot. Maybe if you plan to tutor up Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth aggressively? Beyond that, I'll also note the existence of Starlit Sanctum for cleric decks.

[void_nothing]

Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge autoinclude.

[3drinks]

I'll call out Diamond Valley as an alternative, although since it doesn't natively tap for mana, it doesn't quite qualify for the 'colorless utility land' slot. Maybe if you plan to tutor up Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth aggressively? Beyond that, I'll also note the existence of Starlit Sanctum for cleric decks.

Is that really a fair comparison when one of them is $900 vs the other at $20?

[hyalopterouslemur]

Obvious synergy is with Task Force. You can just do whatever the hell you want with that infinite life.

[Mookie]

I'll call out Diamond Valley as an alternative, although since it doesn't natively tap for mana, it doesn't quite qualify for the 'colorless utility land' slot. Maybe if you plan to tutor up Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth aggressively? Beyond that, I'll also note the existence of Starlit Sanctum for cleric decks.

Is that really a fair comparison when one of them is $900 vs the other at $20?

Hey, my personal price limit is $2/card, so both Miren and Diamond Valley are in the same bucket for me, 'too expensive to justify running'. Whether they're one order of magnitude or three doesn't change that, particularly given that High Market is at $1.41 and I think it is generally superior to both. Honestly, I'm mostly calling it out for those that play on MTGO or use proxies.