This week sees Reality Fracture arrive, and the Magic community’s most fervent player has compiled a selection of cards he believes will shape the new format. Writing under the handle The MTG Hero, the author has released a ranking of his top standout cards from the new set, which comes across as someone deeply eager to put these cards into play.
The set arrives in a little more than a week’s time, and the Hero has already made up his mind that it will change the way the game is played. He writes that he will find it difficult to play anything else for some time because of how much he loves these cards.
Tarmogoyf Leads the Pack
The headline act is Tarmogoyf, which the Hero calls the card he is most excited about. He argues that the green creature is more than a good fit for Pioneer’s Jund-style decks. It could also be a huge boost to the Gruul Delirium deck, which has been missing something to push it into consistent metagame success.
The deck has been hunting for a card to give it the edge it needs to reach consistent success, and Tarmogoyf may well fit that bill perfectly. The argument made by the Hero is that a huge early-game threat like Tarmogoyf is precisely what the deck has been missing.
Jace Beleren’s Ultimate
The planeswalker Jace Beleren earns his own complete write-up. He produces a great many cards if he stays alive, makes tokens, offers removal, and boasts an ultimate that can win the game. According to the Hero, combining The Theorist with Jace, then moving into Elspeth, Stormslayer within a tap-out control deck delivers insane power.
According to The Hero, the match becomes very hard to win if your opponent fails to put you under pressure.
Ingris Stingerquill’s Push
Ingris Stingerquill is a card that pushes aggro decks to an insane level. The Hero notes that most cards of this kind cost four mana and merely grant haste or some other combat benefit. Ingris Stingerquill costs just three mana instead, which lets it take an entire army of tokens and make each one a real threat.
A toughness of four carries serious weight. It means the creature endures a Lightning Strike and Shock, so an opponent must reach for a costlier removal spell or spend extra resources to take it down instead.
Geist of Saint Thalia’s Cost Reduction
Saint Thalia’s spirit lowers the price tag on all noncreature spells, so cards such as Tablet of Discovery and planeswalkers arrive on the battlefield sooner than usual. The Hero is expected to test several copies in Jeskai and 4c Control.
Seasoned Cryomancer’s Graveyard Role
A seasoned Cryomancer is a strong new card that could fit right into Reanimator in some quantity. It lets players search for cards, stops creatures from pressing an advantage against them, and still offers worth even if something goes wrong and the deck mills itself.
The ability to send it out of your graveyard lets you take extra cards right away, according to the Hero’s observation. This sort of quick action is precisely what makes such a card appealing when building around the graveyard.
Slingcaster Mage’s Pioneer Home
Another card worth considering is Slingcaster Mage. The Hero does not consider it as strong as Snapcaster Mage, but its ability is hard to overlook, particularly in Pioneer red decks. As a Wizard, it gains entry to much of the existing support built around the tribe, including Wizard’s Lightning. Haste allows it to deliver value the moment it arrives on the battlefield.
The writer says the card may not take over the role of Snapcaster Mage, yet he believes there is clear promise to be found here.
Landfall’s New Triggers
Roiling Canopy sets off whenever a Forest comes into play, so you could set it off several times during a single turn. After you meet its conditions, it sets off every time a Forest comes into play.
Landfall decks are built for repeated value, and the Hero believes this card delivers it. He thinks the card warrants serious testing.
Chandra’s Tempo Play
Planeswalkers costing three mana generally warrant notice, and Chandra, Chill of Compliance fits that bill well. Her initial ability acts as a draw-one mechanism, whereas her -X capacity grants her notable prospects for tempo moves.
The Hero makes it clear that she does not intend to instantly reshape the metagame, but he will not be ignoring her during the early weeks of the format.
Karn’s Tutoring Ceiling
The Hero keeps receiving Karn, Argent Defender from players because he has spent so much time discussing Izzet Elementals. The card has been raised by others because it is a planeswalker that targets Elementals, though the Hero does not agree with that assessment.
According to the writer, the main issue is that Karn functions as a creature, making it far simpler to eliminate from play. The Hero points out that Torpor Orb can stay put and block a large portion of what the Elementals deck aims to accomplish, while remaining far harder to deal with.
Karn has a high ceiling, the Hero believes, especially if a deck can tutor for him or reanimate him to put him on the battlefield when needed.
The Wrap-Up
The Hero acknowledges that he will probably alter his opinion on certain cards after players have a chance to use the set. It often happens that cards that appear merely “good” during spoiler season turn out to be far more significant once people discover the shells that can exploit them.
The Hero’s excitement is catching, and the guesses about how each card will change the game are truly thrilling. His judgment is open and direct. He is enthusiastic, he is guessing, and he is ready to admit he could be mistaken. That is the full draw of reading a preview from someone who is obviously enjoying himself.
Within days, Reality Fracture will be out, and the Hero’s excitement over the card they’re most eager for is Tarmogoyf. Ingris Stingerquill demands three mana, while Chandra, Chill of Compliance joins the fray as a three-mana planeswalker. People are sending Karn, Argent Defender to the Hero.
The match becomes very hard to win if your opponent fails to put you under pressure.
Key Facts Box
– Set: Reality Fracture, arriving within days
– Top card: Tarmogoyf
– Ingris Stingerquill costs 3 mana
– Chandra, Chill of Compliance costs 3 mana
– Karn, Argent Defender is being sent to the Hero by fans
Source material: “The Reality Fracture is Upon Us! : Standout Cards For Day One,” MTG Arena Zone.
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