[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[PrimevalCommander]

Solid tutor for / artifact decks, of which there are many. I'm not playing any artifact heavy decks at the moment, but this wouldn't even be terrible in a deck that is not hyper artifact focused, but had a good selection of utility artifacts to choose from.

[pokken]

It takes a lot to get me to play Fabricate. I don't think I have it in any decks right now and haven't really played it in years.

[Mookie]

Fabricate is solid. Three mana generally feels like a sweet for tutors, where they aren't an obvious autoinclude, but they also aren't so costly that you won't be able to cast what you fetch. Fabricate in particular is interesting because it competes with Trinket Mage, Trophy Mage, and the rest of that group. If you're playing a ton of artifacts, Fabricate is often preferable... but if you happen to be playing a bunch at a specific slot on your curve (or just usually want to fetch something particular), you can upgrade to a card that also gives you a 2/2.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

I think you either need to be all in on artifacts or really need a specific thing very badly. Last time I played Fabricate, it was alongside Treasure Mage, Trinket Mage, Whir of Invention, and Reshape, all to support one really crappy Salvaging Station engine.

Edit: artificer's Intuition was in there too.

[Hawk]

It's funny that I am so high on Trinket Mage and so low on Fabricate. I think being blinkable/recurrable makes a huge difference for the Mage (and all his magi friends).

Anyhow, like folks are saying, three is a sweet spot for tutors, and if I had a deck (like the Lulu/Feywild Visitor deck I keep dreaming up) that was ultra-reliant on some specific artifacts I'd likely include this. Currently, no deck has a home for it but it's a solid little roleplayer.

[Toshi]

Fabricate is fine. If you prefer a body or no CMC restriction comes down to your deck (building).
Overall i am always happy to see type limited tutors. It's Commander with its integral Singleton form - outside of cutthroat metas i am just bored to see Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor and the likes.
So Fabricate is ticking some boxes for me. Bonus points for being able to fetch more and more artifact lands recently.

[PrimevalCommander]

I just picked up a Reckless Handling for mono-red Zurzoth, Chaos Rider as a third copy of Alhammarret's Archive and Skullclamp. So I can certainly see a use case for a better version of that.

[3drinks]

Saturday, August 5th, 2023; Haunted Library

[3drinks]

Oh. I really should read things 2x before I commit to bringing them here -_-

[Mookie]

I saw someone play Haunted Library recently in an Inniaz, the Gale Force deck, and it seemed reasonable. A bit clunky in the early game, but in the lategame it turns any board wipe into a bunch of replacement bodies, depending on how much mana you have available. It works particularly well with Grave Pact effects, but I think creatures naturally die often enough for it to trigger consistently.

It's somewhat interesting to compare Haunted Library to Spirit Bonds, which I've found to be pretty clunky. Adding an additional pseudo-kicker cost to your own creatures can incentivize you to play off-curve, and it's very expensive to get multiple triggers per turn (since you also need to be casting multiple creature spells, assuming no flickering). On the flip side, Haunted Library triggers off your opponents' creatures, which means you can get triggers without doing anything... and your opponents will, theoretically, have three times as many creatures as you anyway (or even more, since it triggers off tokens). That means it is capable of generating significantly more bodies while reserving less of your mana... although the lack of agency / ability to do it on your turn may make it a bit awkward at times (no immediately feeding the token to Skullclamp on your turn, for example).

[ironic gesture]

I saw someone play Haunted Library recently in an Inniaz, the Gale Force deck, and it seemed reasonable. A bit clunky in the early game, but in the lategame it turns any board wipe into a bunch of replacement bodies, depending on how much mana you have available. It works particularly well with Grave Pact effects, but I think creatures naturally die often enough for it to trigger consistently.

It's funny you say that because I didn't recognize this card and my first thought was my Inniaz, the Gale Force deck. Sprit bonds didn't make the cut for the reasons you stated. Haunted Library could work in a deck that wants to leave mana up often which my Inniaz deck does and also rotates spirits around the table that my opponents usually chump with. Maybe I'll give it a whirl.

On a side note, one of my friends called my Inniaz deck "one direction" and now that's its official name.

[Igzex]

There's something kinda funny about destroying something like an Avatar or an Eldrazi and making it one of your library ghosts.

[3drinks]

Man, if this thing had the "if ~ dies, exile it" text attached to the spirit ability, it would be so GOATed. Like a Night Soil that's triggered rather than activated.

[3drinks]

Sunday, August 6th, 2023; Unfulfilled Desires

[folding_music]

I play this card so much in a tiny ancient cards casual format >:3 Mirage kinda OP compared to Ice Age n 4th and Chronicles and what have you. this kind of repetitive cycling is really good especially if you are fishing for a Drain Life-type card. in EDH this kinda seems like it'd be for desperation graveyard filling while fishing for either an instant win or a strong enough answer that you think you'll see next turn? but blue black is the best possible tutoring colour combo, correct me if I'm wrong

[kirkusjones]

I play this card so much in a tiny ancient cards casual format >:3 Mirage kinda OP compared to Ice Age n 4th and Chronicles and what have you. this kind of repetitive cycling is really good especially if you are fishing for a Drain Life-type card. in EDH this kinda seems like it'd be for desperation graveyard filling while fishing for either an instant win or a strong enough answer that you think you'll see next turn? but blue black is the best possible tutoring colour combo, correct me if I'm wrong

This card is an absolute house in Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer. Opponents tend to leave it alone, but it generates so much value.

[Hermes_]

this card isn't very fulfilling so kudos on the name?

[Sinis]

For aeons, I couldn't find my copy, and then I found it in a heap of the Game of Thrones CCG cards. I'm monumentally disorganized.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Seems pretty awesome with dredge

[3drinks]

Monday, August 7th, 2023; Jace, the Mind Sculptor|2xm

[Vertierer]

[pokken]

JTMS is still a totally fine card! Brainstorm+gain 3 life for 4 mana is not literally the worst card, and it has a lot more upside as well. I usually forget to play it

[TheAmericanSpirit]

JTMS is still a totally fine card! Brainstorm+gain 3 life for 4 mana is not literally the worst card, and it has a lot more upside as well. I usually forget to play it

Nonono, you're doing it all wrong. Unsummon + 2 life is how you play it.

In all seriousness though, JtMS is probably the starkest example of an oppressive card in constructed failing to make the jump to success in EDH. It's still probably the best PW in a vacuum, but it's too hard to defend.

[PrimevalCommander]

Good walker, solid abilities, poster child for doing too much good stuff on one card. Never spent the $$ to get one for EDH and never thought it ever created enough value to be worth the monetary price.
Now at only $20, it's value prop has improved, but so has the power level of walkers and the game in general. So I still don't find myself wanting to run out an grab one. As mentioned, abilities are great, loyalty is low, which makes it very fragile to keep around. And I love taking pot shots at walkers when given the opportunity.

[Dunharrow]

I have one in Maelstrom Wanderer
Brainstorm and bounce are both really good with MW. I feel like I actually win most games where Jace comes down.