Ixalan Card Analysis for Commander
Welcome to a new Commander Set Analysis article, this time for Ixalan! I haven't done one of these in a while, but I'm really excited about Ixalan and I've decided that it deserves a solid look. As with the previous times I've done this, I'll be looking at all the rares and mythics as well as any cards in lower rarities that specifically catch my attention. I'll briefly touch on their basic strengths and weaknesses and talk about examples of deck types that might like to make use of them.
As always, please remember that these thoughts are my personal opinion and are based only on first impressions of the cards. I've had only the barest minimum of time with the set as a whole and have not yet had a chance to play with the majority of these cards in Commander games. My thoughts on these cards will likely change as time goes on, and even if I don't personally have high praise for a specific card, that doesn't mean it won't be useful in a specific deck. Your mileage with these cards will inevitably vary from mine, and something I don't have a use for might be the perfect inclusion in your deck, so don't let my opinion stop you from experimenting with anything that catches your eye.
But that's enough of that, because it's time to start digging for treasure! Let's dive right in to Ixalan.
Ashes of the Abhorrent: This first rare in the set has been tailored specifically to deal with a single strategy in the game. I tend to find that cards like this one not worth the include unless your metagame is completely dominated by decks that the card will deal with. A card like this is extremely narrow and when deck slots are at a premium as they are in Commander, this feels like a dud include for most games. I can't think of anything that I'd personally want to take out of a deck to slot this in. I'm sure it will have its uses at specific tables, but it's not something that I think warrants too long a look.
Axis of Mortality: This card is pretty cutesy but it doesn't feel like it packs enough power to warrant an include in most decks. It is worth noting that having your life total set to a certain amount counts as gaining or losing the difference, and there are a dedicated subset of lifegain builds that do exist. I've never really been a fan of the dedicated lifegain strategy unless it's used to power out other abilities, so I'm lukewarm on this card. One place I think it might be funny is in an Archenemy variant deck where you can slide the opposing team's life around and pick off the easy targets, but that's a specific subset of decks and not really a central deck type.
Bishop of Rebirth: There are a few cards in this set that call back to the Titan cycle of M11 fame, and Bishop of Rebirth is doing a fairly decent Sun Titan impression. It has a substantially smaller body and only triggers on attack, and for only one less mana than the Titan it's not a great tradeoff. Sun Titan has had multiple reprints through things like promotional runs and a headlining spot in a Duel Deck, so they're not exactly hard to find either. Still, there is something to be said for redundancy in a singleton format and there are certainly decks that will be happy to see what essentially amounts to Sun Titan number two.
Goring Ceratops: Seven mana for a 3/3 body is a rough trade. The power this creature grants on a swing is definitely impressive, but the small stats are a pretty grim offset. White is pretty decent at protecting its creatures once they're on the field, though, and the fact that the Ceratops has double strike at all times does put a mark in its favor. Overall this is a risky card to play but there are lists that want it, and not just the Dinosaur deck either. Aggressive decks that want a large number of bodies out and swinging can get benefit from a card like this as long as they can protect the investment. If you can get it out there and keep it alive, it'll return the favor very quickly.
Ixalan's Binding: At only a single mana more than similar cards like Oblivion Ring or Banishing Light, the added effect makes this a very desirable upgrade for multiplayer-focused playgroups. This is an example of a card that performs entirely differently in Commander than it does in sixty-card formats. Exiling something as simple as a Sol Ring or a Gilded Lotus will have a profound effect across the entire table. Stapling a Meddling Mage to a Banishing Light would have been pretty good in its own right, but the fact that it only stops your opponents' casts turns this into an all-star of the set. This card is great and will definitely be worth including.
Kinjalli's Sunwing: One of the cheaper and leaner Dinosaurs in the set, the Sunwing is another card that's adding a redundancy option for decks that need multiple copies of the same effect. Dedicated lists that are built on the denying of resources will be happy for another card that causes permanents to enter tapped. The fact that it's also a Dinosaur is a big deal for people that want to dip into that tribe, though -- because so much of that deck will revolve around punching in for huge damage, having a viable utility card like this in the tribe makes for a solid early addition to the deck as it's still in its nascent stages.
Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle: One of a good number of Legendary Creatures appearing in Ixalan, Mavren Fein is a decent card but not specifically outstanding. The fact that his controller only gets a single Vampire token from his trigger no matter how many creatures they attack with makes him an awkward card to get behind, and in mono-White he's hard to build into as he misses out on the vast majority of Vampires in the game. He's likely better suited to a place inside the ninety-nine, standing in support of a Commander like Edgar Markov that wants to get in and start swinging right away. There will likely be lists brewed for him but he's definitely not my favorite Legend in the set.
Priest of the Wakening Sun: It's no secret that I'm excited for Dinosaurs, but I don't think cards like this are really worth it. The trigger is essentially poop text in Commander; two life is an absolute pittance in a format that starts its players with 40. The second ability is the only thing to even consider this card for, and it's nothing outstanding either. While this card could hypothetically be used to tutor up a specific Dinosaur in a non-tribal build, there are better and more generalized creature tutors that could be included. Beyond that, a dedicated Dinosaur deck has better things to use its card slots on. Really, I don't think Gishath wants to run any creatures that aren't Dinosaurs anyway, as it just dilutes his potential.
Sanguine Sacrament: There is a lot more lifegain in this set than I initially realized, and as far as dedicated lifegain spells go, there are certainly worse ones overall. Probably the most interesting thing about Sanguine Sacrament is that it’s an instant, giving it some flexibility as a safety net. I've said it before, but lifegain is best utilized as a fuel for other results. Having a high life total doesn't win you the game under usual circumstances. To further that thought, though, If you're building an engine that runs on life, you're likely to have Black among your deck's colors. Draining life from your opponents using tools in Black's arsenal is usually more satisfying than just making it appear with cards like this. Overall I think this is a lackluster card for most decks, even builds that want to gain a lot of life.
Settle the Wreckage: This is a very neat card and not something that we see very often. Weirdly enough, this reads most similarly to certain Blue cards like Aetherize or Illusionist's Gambit in that they're all instant-speed attack disruptions at four mana. The closest thing in White is probably Angel of the Dire Hour, which sits well above this card in mana cost. Of course, the value of the lean cost is offset by the Path to Exile rider, turning the creatures it exiles into lands. Some people have looked at this as a sort of "White ramp spell for yourself," turning the player's own creatures into lands to boost mana production. This works but it's not something I can see being terribly viable in most cases. Even if the creatures you're swapping for lands are disposable tokens, having enough creatures out to ramp yourself in any meaningful way would mean you're already doing pretty well in the game. This reads better as a mid-to-late-game mass combat trick, working best when the player you use it on has already established themselves and the extra lands don't add too much in value. It's a fine, strong card that will see play, but I think its use is more straightforward than people are trying to make it.
Tocatli Honor Guard: Overall this is a fairly straightforward card, and another that adds redundancy options similarly to how Kinjalli's Sunwing did. This card offers an additional effect in the vein of Hushwing Gryff and Torpor Orb, both of which have seen their share of play in Commander. Creatures with additional value form the backbone of many decks in the format, as each card in a deck needs to add a certain level of value to warrant the use of the card slot. Shutting off cards like Eternal Witness and Rune-Scarred Demon makes this a powerful include, and beyond that it also stops things like Purphoros and Aura Shards that trigger when creatures come in beside them. As a creature its stats are fairly lean for the format, but effects like this are strong and that means this card will see play.
Wakening Sun's Avatar: The first of the Dinosaur Avatars in the set, Wakening Sun's Avatar is a powerful addition to the Dinosaur tribal build. At eight mana to cast, it's not exactly light on the mana pool, but the 7/7 body and the ability to blow up the board except for Dinosaurs is huge. The Dinosaur deck is going to be about punching at the end of the day, and a card like this that just slams into play and completely clears the path for its tribe is a welcome inclusion. Even though this card's trigger only works when it enters from hand and thus not off of being flipped up with Gishath, it happily goes into that deck anyway just as a bit of extra muscle. Even non-Dinosaur decks might want this as a huge body that clears the way for itself, but it really shines when it stands next to others of its kind.
Arcane Adaptation: The ability to modify your creatures' types en masse was originally in Black when it appeared on the card Conspiracy, and when it moved to Blue on Xenograft it only changed the type of creatures currently on the battlefield. With the printing of this card, Blue now has access to modify creatures that aren't in play as well, which is a massive benefit for decks that want to manipulate their creatures this way. Arcane Adaptation is also decidedly cheaper in mana cost than previous cards like it, which is definitely welcome. Any deck that was previously running Xenograft will be happy to see this, and the ability to use this card to affect things like type-specific tutors adds a ton of extra value. This will definitely be a useful tool for the decks that want it.
Daring Saboteur: I don't think this card will be very useful in most situations. Any value it could give is basically erased by the format's deckbuilding restrictions. The slot this would take is better used by a card like Bident of Thassa or Deepfathom Skulker that offers up similar abilities to its controller's entire team. Specific Pirate builds might want to include this just because it does gain some value when surrounded by others of its type; a deck centered around Admiral Beckett Brass is probably okay with cards like this since she wants multiple Pirates to hit her opponents so she can steal from them. As it is, it's not terrible, but its value is essentially eclipsed by cards we already have. Unless you specifically need the maximum number of Pirates, I'd look elsewhere.
Deadeye Quartermaster: This card is pretty interesting to me. At first blush this card seems like it belongs more in White, as the ability to tutor Equipment cards out of the deck seems more in line with cards like Stoneforge Mystic. Blue is able to find artifacts as well, though, and this card might be better compared to something like Treasure Mage with a different spin on the tutor restriction. Picking up Vehicles as well as Equipment gives this card a bit of added value and makes it read pretty differently from anything else. It's a decent utility creature for the kind of deck that will want it.
Dreamcaller Siren: I’m not really into this one. The tapping of permanents can be relevant but I feel that more prevalent options like Frost Titan or Icefall Regent offer more as a total package. Having on-card flash is a nice boost for this and makes it a bit more useful as a surprise combat trick, but locking the ability behind the need to control additional Pirates undoes whatever benefit this might offer. This seems like it’s going to be an instant-speed Cloud Elemental more often than not. I feel like this is another example of a card that loses value because of the format’s deckbuilding rules. If the Pirate deck gets off the ground, this might be worth another look, but as it is there are just better choices.
Entrancing Melody: I can't see a reason to run this over cards that already exist, like Control Magic or Volition Reins. If you're considering this card but you're not already running at least one of those, I'd point you to those other cards first. This isn't terrible, though -- it's just not ideal. If you're already running those cards and are still looking for additional options to steal other players' cards, this is a decent piece if a little expensive in total. It's fairly straightforward overall, and there's not much to say beyond that.
Fleet Swallower: Mill is a rough strategy when the libraries in the format are ninety-nine stories tall, but it is possible to pull it off with the right suite of cards. This card is solidly large for Blue and although it doesn't have any kind of evasion, it's big enough that average combat math is in its favor. Beyond that, the trigger occurs on attacking, not damage, so it's not required to actually hit the opponent to mill their deck. Even more interesting, the player that mills doesn't have to be the one that was attacked, making for an opportunity to smack one opponent for damage and another for cards, or even mill yourself to set up specific play options for a graveyard-based deck. There's definitely value in this card for certain decks, and I know of a few players that were pretty excited to see this when it was first officially revealed. If your deck functions in a way that can utilize a card like this, it's probably worth testing.
Herald of Secret Streams: Speaking as someone who has a deck that very heavily relies on +1/+1 counter manipulation to win, I think this card looks better than it actually is. It doesn't actively create or otherwise manipulate the counters it needs to function, instead relying on other cards to make it work. Needing additional cards to function doesn't inherently keep a card from being good in this format -- one could technically make the same argument about Doubling Season, which is a card that functions well in the same strategy that the Herald is trying to fit into. Passive-type cards need to have a strong impact on the board when they're played to offset having to sit in hand until the opportune moment, though, and I think the Herald's not ideal in that regard. Plus, the card is sitting at a critical point on the mana curve at four mana, which is already fairly well-stocked with cards in this format. While it's not bad overall and could definitely be playable in the right list, I do think it's a sub-optimal choice for decks that want to play to the +1/+1 counter strategy.
Jace, Cunning Castaway: This card was officially revealed alongside the announcement of the rules change for Planeswalkers, and it makes sense considering this card requires those rules changes to function. This is an interesting take on the suite of abilities Jace is known for as it highlights his abilities as a creator of illusions. Overall I feel this Jace is somewhat lackluster; he was the subject of some hype when it was realized that he can go infinite with Doubling Season, but there are a lot of Planeswalkers that love that card, so that's nothing too crazy in my opinion. In a vacuum I think he's probably the weakest Planeswalker in the set, and his only real highlight is the gimmick of his ultimate which was included to highlight the rules change. There are better uses for the card slot this will take up, in my opinion.
Kopala, Warden of Waves: The second of the monocolor Legends in the set, Kopala follows Mavren Fein in that he's likely to be more useful as a member of the deck than as the headliner. Merfolk as a tribe have a fair number of possible Commander choices in a number of color combinations, which means that Kopala's monocolored identity will be restricting compared to other options. He is the most tribal-oriented among his Legendary peers, but his abilities have an upward limit to their viability in a format where mass removal tends to be the preferred method to deal with creatures. I think he does have a position in a Merfolk tribal build, but it's probably better not to choose him to lead the deck.
Overflowing Insight: Drawing cards is always a good thing, and drawing multiple cards is even better. Let it not be said that cards that do nothing but draw more cards aren't useful in Commander. That said, a card like this feels too clunky to get a lot of use out of. Comparing the effect against the mana cost, the value is good at one card for each mana spent, but the initial investment of seven is still very high for a card draw spell. Requiring seven mana to cast means that this will eat up the bulk of the player's mana on an average turn, and draw spells tend to function better when they leave some room to allow the casting of the drawn cards. Later turns will allow for this, but that makes this card effectively say "Draw seven, then move to end step" until about turn ten or twelve, and that's not ideal. I think it's generally a better idea to go a little leaner on the dedicated draw spells, or else use cards with variable costs like Pull from Tomorrow which allow you to tailor your play to your available mana. Overflowing Insight also reads "target player draws," which could equally be a good or bad thing depending on your playgroup -- it might assist you in killing that player who cycles through their deck really quickly, but it might also be a good Swerve target for your opponent when you're just trying to get back into the game. Overall I think this is less than ideal.
River's Rebuke: I think this card is actually more viable than it might seem. This might look worse at first glance than cards like Cyclonic Rift or Evacuation, as it deals with only a single opponent's field instead of the whole board, and is a sorcery instead of an instant. Truthfully, I think the fact that it targets only a single player actually puts this in a class of its own instead of directly being comparable to other mass-bounce cards. This card allows a way to deal with an individual player’s board before they develop too far and it doesn't cost its caster their own board to play. It could theoretically also be combined with another color's boardwipes to preemptively rescue your own field from destruction, although as a sorcery it's kind of a red flag to cast on yourself. I think the best use for this card is as a political statement during a multiplayer game, as you can use it to quickly shift the balance of a table in the direction you want. It's not going to become a Blue auto-include, but it's something that certain decks might want to try.
Spell Swindle: I find it a bit funny that Ixalan includes this obvious riff on Mana Drain when you consider the upcoming reprint of Mana Drain itself in Iconic Masters. There are actually quite a few cards in this set that are based on previous cards, this card being one of them. That said, this card is pretty good in its own right and I do expect to see it show up at the Commander table. Five mana is on the expensive side for a counterspell, but the return on the investment is definitely a plus when you consider that the Treasure tokens hang around until they’re needed. I think this will be worth trying.
Bloodcrazed Paladin: I dismissed this card as trivial when I first read it, but upon further reflection I think I actually do like it. The addition of flash can make this a viable option for a few different strategies, and the potential for good value is high considering this card costs a very decent two mana. This card might be a decently threatening body for a deck that likes to make large numbers of tokens and then sacrifice them for effects. It can also serve to quickly get a player back into the game after a board wipe, which is difficult for some decks to accomplish. The capacity for a big return is the main draw of this card, and I think it'll see a fair amount play in Commander.
Boneyard Parley: This is a very cool and unique take on the classic Fact or Fiction formula. The ability to grab creatures from any graveyard is always relevant in multiplayer games. I do think that this card is expensive enough that it won't be viable in just any deck, but there is potential for good return on the mana investment if it's played at the right time. A bit of work will be required to get the best value out of this effect, and a card like this is a bit more thought-intensive than the average reanimation spell. It'll take some testing to find out if it's worth the slot, but for decks that can make proper use of it I think it'll be quite valuable.
Deadeye Tracker: This is an example of a very good use for the Explore keyword in a color that can get a good amount of use out if it. Having the Explore action happen as part of the ability's resolution is a great addition for Black, as it helps to ensure land drops and can also add cards to the graveyard. Manipulating specific cards in an opponent’s graveyard is a very useful addition to a deck’s toolbox as Commander has a number of strategy archetypes that involve use of the graveyard. I've seen people forget that Explore can pitch the card it reveals, but throwing cards into the bin can be beneficial in a color like Black that often wants a large pile to sift through. It can help with Delirium, add reanimation targets, or just offer a quick and dirty way to manipulate the top of the deck. There's a lot of value in this card, and it'll definitely be worth trying.
Dire Fleet Ravager: This is a very straightforwardly aggressive card that plays in a somewhat unique space. As of this writing, there are only two cards in the game that deal out life loss by one-third, and this card is one of them. This is a powerful card for combat-based strategies as it quickly reduces the damage that needs to be dealt to win, but it's also a viable piece for control variants that strive for resource deprivation, as it further reduces the options available to opponents. This is a card that's good in different decks for different reasons, and I'd expect to see it at multiplayer tables very quickly.
Fathom Fleet Captain: I'm still not sure what to make of tribal Pirates as a deck. The tribe looks like it has some decent potential, mostly because it has access to a lot of the very good creatures from this set that just happen to also be Pirates. If that deck starts to take off then I can definitely see this card holding a spot there. As it is right now, Pirates looks like it's going to be primarily built around swinging in with multiple low-cost evasive creatures like this one. The ability to create disposable bodies to minimize the loss of the deck's more central creatures is a nice addition to a deck that wants to go wide like this. Outside of Pirate tribal, though, I think this is too parasitic to be of any real value.
Revel in Riches: This card makes an immediate and blatant comparison to Black Market and it might seem at first blush to be worse. Black Market definitely has much more explosive potential in terms of mana production, but the fact that the Treasure tokens from this card stick around until they're needed is a fair exchange in my opinion. The alternate win condition on this card is interesting but I don't think it'll be a realistic goal to work towards in most games; it's better to consider the win trigger as a bit of extra gravy and treat the mana production of the Treasure tokens as the meat and potatoes of the card. A card like this requires a specific list to be good, preferably a black-centered board control list with a number of boardwipes. A hypothetical dedicated Treasure list that really wants to push for the alternate win might have to wait until Rivals of Ixalan, so we can see how the Treasure mechanic evolves.
Sanctum Seeker: At first I was not incredibly excited about this card. I thought it was fine and playable, but nothing incredibly terrifying. My opinion of it has changed since I saw it being tested in a dedicated Edgar Markov list, and now I am a much bigger fan. With Edgar consistently doubling up the number of Vampires from the safety of the command zone, this card has the potential to be extremely scary if it comes in at the right time. The relatively low mana cost of four mana makes this easily playable in a big-mana format like this, and the four points of toughness means it's a solid body to play during the early-to-mid point of the game. I do think that this card's value diminishes quite a bit if there's not a steady, ongoing source of Vampire creatures, so outside of Edgar this might not be the best use of the slot. A card like this one requires specific pieces around it to be worthwhile, but it will certainly shine in the right list.
Sword-Point Diplomacy: There are two very major marks against this card in this format. The first is obviously the increased starting life total which means that most players won't have a problem dropping life into the effect. The second is that multiplayer games are a default state of the format, with three or four players being a common number to sit down at the table. A card like this essentially invites opponents to team up against you, ensuring whatever value you get out of this card is minimized to the point of uselessness. This card is of much better use in other formats, where 3 life is a more serious fraction against the total and there are less opponents to pay the tax. If you’re looking for something that functions similarly to this but with a better return, consider a card like Moonlight Bargain, which lets you pay life for the specific cards you want instead of relying on other players at the table.
Vraska's Contempt: This straightforward variant of Hero's Downfall causes the target to be exiled instead of destroyed for an additional generic mana. It also spits out two life for the extra cost, but I think that addition is mostly superfluous. The value of exiling the target instead of destroying it is absolutely what you're paying for here and it's very much worth the extra single mana in the cost. While spot removal does lose some value over mass boardwipes in this format, I am solidly of the opinion that there's still a need for ways to deal with specific threats, and because this hits multiple card types it's a fine piece to include. Hero's Downfall is still the number one choice at the intersection of playability and cost, but the fact that this is an instant means it probably wins out against the sorcery-speed Ruinous Path in most lists. I'll be playing with it to see how it feels, but I'm pretty optimistic.
Angrath's Marauders: There's more to unpackage with this card than there might seem. Seven mana for a 4/4 is definitely on the more expensive side, but when that four power is stapled to a Gratuitous Violence, it gains some value back for certain. While this card is obviously not at the power level of the comparably-costed Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, the fact that the Marauders has only Red in its color identity makes it available to additional decks. While we do already have a fair number of cards that offer effects like this in mono-Red, it's rare to see it on a body that can make use of the effect itself. Being a creature does make this more easily dealt with, though, and that's a trade of that'll need to be considered.
Burning Sun's Avatar: This Red member of the Dinosaur Avatar subgroup is trying its best to do an impression of Inferno Titan, and while it's not exactly succeeding, there's still a decent card to be had here. Most cards like this one that target a player and a creature usually restrict the creature choice to those controlled by the player that's being hit. Burning Sun's Avatar doesn't have that restriction, though, likely in an effort to expand the synergies between it and other members of its tribe. The Avatar's entry trigger can be used to deal damage to one of your own Dinosaurs with the Enrage mechanic, allowing for additional options and flexibility. Beyond that, it's decent spot removal for utility creatures with small-to-mid sized bodies and is also an impressive attacker at 6/6. It might not quite be at Inferno Titan's level, but it's a fine card and I expect it'll see play beyond its tribal option.
Captain Lannery Storm: I like the idea behind this card, a Pirate with a sort of "Treasure Prowess" that boosts its stats as you spend the loot you have in reserves. Captain Storm's biggest problem right now is that she doesn't really fit anywhere. As a Commander, the fact that she wants to swing in to claim more Treasure makes her base 2/2 stats a bit on the low side. This is helped a bit by her innate haste, but I don't think there's currently enough Treasure support in mono-Red to make her worthwhile as a headliner. Her next best option is to join up with the fleet, but that's not without its own problems. The Pirate tribal list under Admiral Beckett Brass is still fairly shaky since the tribe doesn't currently have a coherent theme to use as a deckbuilding throughline. As with a number of other Pirate cards in the set, I think we need to see what Rivals of Ixalan brings to the table before we can really figure out where to take Captain Storm. I like her in theory, but putting a list together is less than feasible right now.
Captivating Crew: There have been a number of cards over the years that play in the space of temporarily taking control of other permanents, but Captivating Crew is unique in that it's the first mono-Red creature that does it as an activated ability. While other cards such as Zealous Conscripts have better potential for combo exploitation through their passive triggers, this card is most interesting in its reliability, offering an easily repeatable way to get value out of opponents' creatures on the table. Having a repeatable mana sink like this is useful for Red since it's the color most likely to run itself out of options, and a mana sink that steals resources from opponents is definitely a welcome tool for a number of decks. As an aside, I love the fact that this card shares its art cues so blatantly with Magic Origins uncommon Enthralling Victor, and that both were illustrated by the same artist. While obviously intentional, it's great nonetheless, and I hope that artist Winona Nelson has further opportunities to explore this theme in the future.
Rampaging Ferocidon: This smaller-bodied Dinosaur might not be as physically imposing as some of its kin, but it offers one of the more powerful and unique abilities within the tribe right now. The immediate comparison here is to Sulfuric Vortex, and while it's not a perfect resemblance, there's still an obvious parallel to draw. Anyone who plans to use a lifegain-based strategy to pay for abilities will have to tread around either of these cards carefully. Similarly, players of token-based decks will need to deal with the Ferocidon immediately or else be completely shut off from the theme they've built their deck towards. As a creature, the Ferocidon is vulnerable to cards in each of the five colors, but the fact that it so blatantly requires an answer means that it will have value for as long as it can remain on the board. This Dinosaur has undeniable value even beyond the tribal build, and I can see it finding a home in a number of decks that want to aggressively disrupt the flow of play for their opponents. This is absolutely a card to keep an eye out for.
Repeating Barrage: Continuing this set's growing trend of cards based on previously printed ones, Repeating Barrage is a fairly clear callback to Hammer of Bogardan. First printed way back in Mirage, the Hammer is a well-known card to longtime Magic players and was one of the earliest reusable burn spells, offering a solid mana sink to Red decks of the era that would often run out of gas. While it didn't win the game by itself, Hammer of Bogardan gave Red players something to do if things didn't go to plan. That said, the current era of Magic is a very different environment from the time when Hammer went for ten or fifteen bucks, and Commander is even further removed from what the game was then. There are better cards to use as repeatable mana sinks, and Repeating Barrage's best claim to fame now is as a nostalgic nod for the players -- such as myself -- that have been around the block since the Hammer's days.
Rowdy Crew: I'm not generally a fan of cards like this. Some randomization is obviously unavoidable in a game that begins with its players shuffling their game pieces into a massive, uniform stack, but it's usually best to minimize it once the match actually starts. There are lists that want cards like this, and the potential for a 5/5 with trample for four mana is certainly present. Lists that are built around the act of discarding cards for additional value might experiment with this as well. In a vacuum, though, this is not a great use for a card slot.
Star of Extinction: I really like that this set includes a board wipe that's based on damage, so that it triggers the Enrage mechanic on the set's various Dinosaurs. Comparing this to similar options like Blasphemous Act, the things that really set this apart are the fact that it targets and destroys a land and that its damage is dealt to both creatures and Planeswalkers. These are interesting changes but they shouldn't affect too much in an average game. It is important to note that if the land that Star of Extinction targets becomes an illegal target before the spell resolves, the whole thing is countered and the damage isn't dealt. Blasphemous Act is probably the better card overall, but it's nice to have additional options.
Sunbird's Invocation: I'm not as big a fan of this card as some of the other people at my local store, although it does definitely have the potential to be powerful. If you've constructed your deck to take good advantage of it, it basically grants every spell you cast a Cascade analogue, which has the potential to swing the game in your favor pretty far. As an effect, there's no denying that turning every one spell you cast into two is a fine way to make value back on your investment quickly. I think the overall value of this card will depend heavily on what the rest of the deck looks like; a card like this limits the use of things like reactive instants as well as spells with X in their cost. Sunbird's Invocation does have the potential to be powerful in a list built to support it, but I'd need time to experiment with building and playing that list to really get a feel for it.
Tilonalli's Skinshifter: This is a really rough sell for me. The fact that this card is a 0/1 any time except when it's attacking alongside another creature makes this essentially a useless card in all but a few situations. In a format where only one of each card is allowed, a card needs to have lasting long-term value to work well in an average list. Some specific deckbuilding style might have a plan for a card like this, but in most normal situations this card will just not be useful in Commander.
Carnage Tyrant: This card is one of the most expensive cards in Ixalan as of this writing. It's a great no-nonsense facepuncher, a card that’s all about swinging in all day. The card is definitely good and is going to see play but I would expect its value to fall once the set has settled a bit, so if you're looking for one you might want to watch it for a bit to see if it slides into a more affordable price bracket. Its best value in Commander is inside the Dinosaur tribal list headed by Gishath, as outside of that list it finds itself in a rather bloated mana cost range that's filled with a number of other playables.
Deathgorge Scavenger: This is a nice utility piece for the Dinosaur tribe, but in a more generalized list it's hard to get a feel for it. It's definitely not as good as something like Scavenging Ooze when it comes to dealing with cards in graveyards, and having to swing in to trigger the ability can be rough when it’s sitting at 2 toughness. Still, utilizing the graveyard as a resource is a popular strategy in Commander and having more cards that can deal with that zone directly is a good thing. I'd say it's worth trying this one out to see how it performs at your local tables.
Deeproot Champion: I do like this card, but it's definitely outside of Green's normal comfort zone. Cards in this color are normally all about creature spells and interactions with creatures, and giving a Green creature an ability that's basically "super Prowess" feels a little weird to me. That said, I can definitely see a use for it; I've already seen a few Temur Spells lists at tables and they'll enjoy a card like this. Because it's inexpensive and has an ongoing way to add value to itself, I think it's worth trying. It's definitely non-traditional, but there's ways to make it work.
Emperor's Vanguard: Green is probably the color helped the least by the Explore mechanic. The land-finding aspect is minimized by Green's already-superior ability to ramp, and while there is some use for the graveyard in the color, it's less direct than a color like Black and generally only puts cards back in hand to be played again. This isn't a terrible card, but Explore's limited range in this color and the fact that there's only minimal support for it as a mechanic make me less than excited to play a card like this.
Old-Growth Dryads: This card is not for Commander, plain and simple. In a format where only one copy of each card can be run in a deck, this will almost never appear early enough in the game for it to be relevant compared to the card's obvious downside. This adds nothing of value to the deck of the person playing it and actively harms them in the long run. Ramp is exceedingly important in this format, and a card like this that just happily hands your opponents the most valuable resource in the game is of little use. An argument could be made for this card's political value, but I don't think that's a valid line of reasoning to include something like this. It’s best to look elsewhere.
Ranging Raptors: This card's ability is probably one of the best Enrage triggers in the game so far. The fact that the Raptor's body is big enough to survive multiple instances of damage each turn means that the right suite of cards can net multiple lands over and over, which is a big deal for the dedicated Dinosaur deck that's going to have a high mana curve by its very nature. I think there's potential for this card to shine in multiple lists other than just the Dinosaur deck, though, as it's a unique and repeatable way to ramp multiple times. There's a lot to think about with this one but I can definitely see a future for it.
Ripjaw Raptor: Speaking of amazing Enrage triggers, Ripjaw Raptor is another huge mark in the mechanic's favor. There's not really a lot of subtlety or out-of-box thinking in the Dinosaur tribe, and a card like this one is probably the most cerebral the creature type is really going to get, but I think that's fine. There's a lot of value in cards like this that trigger off of a normal aspect of gameplay, and drawing cards is probably one of the best things that something like this can do. It'll be interesting to see how this mechanic develops in Rivals of Ixalan, but as it is right now we have the start of something really strong.
Verdant Sun's Avatar: As I'm sure longtime followers of my blog know by now, I'm not a fan of lifegain just for the sake of gaining life. Decks that run lifegain cards should also be able to use that life to power other cards' abilities and expand the options available to them -- just blindly gaining life doesn't win the game on its own. That said, I'm not opposed to a card like this in the Dinosaur deck. The tribe has a higher-than-average mana curve and it might take some time to start firing properly, and having access to a card like this one allows the deck to take a few lumps in the early game and still stabilize itself in later turns. As a bonus, this card actually runs nicely alongside cards with the Enrage mechanic, as many damage-based boardwipes such as Earthquake and Molten Disaster hit players as well as creatures. Those types of cards are viable in the Dinosaur deck as they trigger all of the Enrage mechanics on the board, and running this card offers a bit of a safety bubble to keep the player from taking too much heat from their own spells. This isn't the most amazing of the new Dinosaurs but it's a decent enough addition in its own right, and with the creature pool still fairly shallow for the tribe, it's a fine inclusion.
Waker of the Wilds: This card feels a bit like a design held over from the Battle for Zendikar era. Its activated ability seems a fairly obvious play on the Awaken keyword featured in that block, which put +1/+1 counters on lands and then turned them into creatures. There were obviously cards that brought lands to life as creatures before the BFZ block, but the way this card uses counters to animate the land makes it feel very connected to that time. I wasn’t personally excited by the Awaken ability as it appeared on cards from the Battle block; I have used cards with the ability in decks, but it's never been a deciding factor in whether a card sees play as far as I'm concerned. As such, I'm not really moved by this card. The fact that this is a space that's already been so thoroughly explored means that it's not really that amazing to me. It's fine, there's nothing specifically bad about it, but it's not something I'm going to be running out to get my hands on.
Admiral Beckett Brass: This is a hard one to read. Tribal Commanders with a static lord ability are nice enough in their own right, so the Admiral will probably see play as a Commander just because she's the best choice for the Pirate tribe at the moment. The end-of-turn trigger is pretty good when it connects but the fact that an opponent has to be hit with three Pirates to actually have it happen is a little rough. Currently, the Pirate tribe have low-to-average combat stats overall and often require other options to help them really push through. There are a decent number of Pirates with some type of evasion, so that's a mark in the Admiral's favor, but I feel like there will be some work involved to help solidify the deck's gameplan. If she's backed up properly, I think there is potential for her in the format, but it's tough to call right now. Just like with a number of other cards in the tribe, I think it'll take the release of the next set to really get an idea of what this card can do.
Gishath, Sun's Avatar: If you've been following my blog in the months leading up to Ixalan's release, you'll know that I've been pretty excited for Dinosaurs for a while now. It's exciting to see my young childhood intersect with a hobby I’ve cultivated through my later youth and into my adulthood. It’s great to watch the tribe starts to establish itself, and a powerful Legendary creature is a welcome inclusion in the first rush of cards. Gishath is a great example of what this tribe is going for and a perfect choice to headline the deck if you're looking to build Dinosaurs for yourself. Because he's so centered in support of his tribe, he's really an all-or-nothing type of card, and his value drops off very quickly as creatures other than Dinosaurs start showing up in the deck around him. Similarly, there's little reason to use a different creature to headline a Dinosaur-centric deck as creatures like Mayael the Anima already have established lines that they can follow and converting them to Dinosaur tribal dilutes what they can already do. Still, Gishath is good at what he does and I've already seen him at a table more than once as of this article's writing. Gishath is confirmed awesome.
Hostage Taker: This card was hit with clarification errata before it became available publicly. Hostage Taker is unable to take itself hostage, despite how the text might read. Even without the potential to lock the game into a draw, though, this is a very strong piece for the average Dimir control shell. The capacity to function as a sort of Faceless Butcher for both artifacts and creatures is good in its own right, but stapling on the Gonti, Lord of Luxury ability to cast the exiled card just makes this a huge presence at the table when it comes down. I honestly think this card has the potential to become an auto-include in decks that have access to Blue and Black, as it offers a ton of value for the card slot it takes. This is just a very good card.
Huatli, Warrior Poet: Huatli's suite of abilities is a little strange on the first read. Her zero-loyalty ability is probably the most interesting in that it creates a token outside of her color identity. This isn't unheard of but is generally unusual. Her plus and minus abilities are connected to each other pretty strongly; Huatli essentially has no "ultimate" ability, and the capacity to repeatedly activate the minus-X ability is the main reason to tick up her loyalty. The ability to gain life is interesting here mostly because it allows the player to chain into damage-based boardwipes like Molten Disaster, which is the Dinosaur deck's preference because it allows their Enrage triggers to happen even on the way to the graveyard. Huatli also offers her own interesting way to trigger the Dinosaur tribe's Enrage abilities through the use of her minus-X, which can be used to target your own creatures for added value. Huatli was obviously made to benefit the Dinosaur tribe and her synergies with those cards does show through, but she's strong in her own right and I think she's worth trying in any aggressive list that includes Red and White and wants options that offer a bit more staying power.
Regisaur Alpha: This is another card that's only real value is as an inclusion in the new Dinosaur deck, but will do a ton of work in that specific build. Dinosaurs seem a bit of an exclusive club in that they want only their own kind at the party to really maximize themselves. Dinosaur tribal as a deck is pretty rough right now and a lot of cards are seeing an inclusion just because they have the right creature type, but this feels like a card that will be relevant to the deck even after more options become available. As a card, this is pretty straightforward, but I think it will have a fairly dedicated slot in Gishath's hunting pack for a long while. Definitely worth the inclusion if you're walking the Dinosaur.
Tishana, Voice of Thunder: The immediate comparison for this card is to Prime Speaker Zegana, another Legendary Green-Blue Merfolk creature that can draw cards and set its stats based on other creatures you have in play. Instead of caring about your one largest creature like Zegana, though, Tishana counts your total number of creatures, making her better suited for things like token decks or other swarm mentality builds like Elves. The initial investment of seven mana is a little high but Tishana will make it worthwhile as long as you have a healthy board. I think there's potential for a card like this both as a Commander or as part of the deck. It'll be exciting to see a deck come together for her.
Vona, Butcher of Magan: I went back and forth on the viability of this card for a bit when I first saw it, but as of now I think Vona is quite good. Five mana for a 4/4 with vigilance and lifelink is already above the baseline by itself, and the capacity to pay life for what's essentially a repeatable Vindicate is certainly a useful ability. Seven life can be a bit high as the game goes on, but this card is in the two colors most likely to regain life either through passive gain effects or draining it from opponents, so that cost should be easily handled. This is a good example of a card that offers the means to an end for lifegain effects, as it's a very straightforward and valuable way to spend that life you're gaining. Vona can be quite powerful if the right suite of tools are present, and I think we'll see multiple lists for her in the near future.
Vraska, Relic Seeker: Of the three Planeswalkers in the set, Vraska is the most openly aggressive. Her plus-2 ability creates a creature with menace, a powerful offensive keyword, and her minus-3 snipes active threats on the board and turns them into disposable mana stones for her controller. Her ultimate is flashy but likely won't see a lot of use, as repeated shots with the second ability seems a better way to spend her loyalty. Still, the ultimate is easy to reach from the starting point, and with two or three menacing Pirates out it does have potential to be a finisher. Six mana is very manageable in Commander and the fact that she comes into play with as much loyalty as the mana she costs is nice. Overall I think she's quite good and will serve well as a versatile removal piece for Golgari decks.
Fell Flagship: There's not a lot to say about this one, really. Giving a vehicle the classical Specter ability is kind of interesting, and I like the idea of a ship that's a Pirate lord. A 3/3 vehicle with crew 3 seems small though, and I'm not sure if Pirate tribal is strong enough yet to be worthwhile. The tribe definitely needs lords like this to make it work, though, so this is definitely a step in the right direction. As with so many other cards in the Pirate camp, I think that this card's worth will be solidified with the reveal of the next set, when we can get a better idea of how the tribe will fit together.
Shadowed Caravel: A card like this that is extremely parasitic to other cards within its own set is usually not very good, and Explore in and of itself is already a hard sell. The Explore mechanic's value is really dependent on the color of the card it appears on. Green cards with it aren't as valuable in my opinion because they already have better options for picking up lands, but in a color like Black that has limited ramp capacity and also wants a full graveyard, Explore is a lot better. Even in that instance, though, there's not enough depth to the mechanic to make a deck centered around it. When a card is locked to a mechanic like this it tends to not be very good because it's a dead end if you draw it without mechanical support already in place. If Explore picks up steam in Rivals of Ixalan this might be worth a second look, but honestly I think it's just a better idea to include something a little more dependable.
Sorcerous Spyglass: This is an interesting take on the Pithing Needle formula that allows players a bit of foresight into the card that they name. The fact that it doesn't specifically lock you to a card that it sees when you look at an opponent's hand means no value is lost in playing this. Hypothetically, you could even look through one player's hand, then choose something that's on another player's board once you're sure the player whose hand you looked at is not a present threat. In terms of Commander, this card might actually be more useful than its predecessor. This is because it offers a distinct upgrade for just a single mana that carries its value further into the late game, but its still-low cost means that there's no substantial loss of playability in the early turns. This type of static effect is a useful and dependable way to deal with specific problems, so I would not be surprised to see this gain some traction at the Commander table.
Vanquisher's Banner: With the most recent set of Commander decks adding multiple tribal options to the format, and the heavy tribal themes present in Ixalan, a card like this is very enticing to a lot of people. While the tribal boost isn't on the level of a card like Coat of Arms, there's still solid value in a static anthem effect for a tribe of the player's choice. Beyond that, the card draw ability is very relevant as it can help to keep the deck fueled up. There's potential to chain together multiple plays using this card by drawing into other creatures of the chosen type, which can be extremely beneficial for decks that would otherwise run out of steam. Obviously this card requires a healthy creature base to be properly successful but there is definitely a lot to like about this if you're building to a tribal theme.
Legion's Landing / Adanto, the First Fort: This card is pretty candid in its abilities, but just because it's straightforward doesn't mean it's not playable. The front side of the card follows a small trend of enchantments that create tokens as they enter, with the most obvious recent example probably being Oath of Gideon. Similarly, the transformation trigger plays on cards like Kytheon, Hero of Akros and Windbrisk Heights, and the reverse side is a reworked take on the classic land card Kjeldoran Outpost. It's a solid, functional tool for token decks that want a consistent source of disposable bodies, and while its ability suite is not exactly earth-shattering to read, I think there is value to be had here.
Search for Azcanta / Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin: After the public reveal of Growing Rites of Itlimoc, I had at least one friend at my local game store who was upset that this card wasn't a Tolarian Academy on its reverse side. Despite that, though, I think the card we got is pretty good in its own right. The front side is interesting in that it can fill the graveyard while also manipulating the top of the library. It's fairly innocuous on its own, but it might be helpful if paired with cards like Jace, Vryn's Prodigy or cards with Threshold or Delirium. The back side is a great utility piece for a number of decks as a repeatable way to pull out cards turn after turn. I like this as an option for artifact-based decks as it allows them to gather up useful permanents, but a deck focused on spell-based control can also get some good value out of this. I think it’s quite good.
Arguel's Blood Fast / Temple of Aclazotz: The Black member of the transforming enchantments cycle is mechanically pretty neat. The front side is a Greed variant and the back face is a take on Diamond Valley, which are interesting cards to connect together like this. The result, though, is too hazardous on the player's life total to be of much use. While it’s true that a player's life total is a resource that can be used and I'm fine with paying life to activate abilities, the fact that this card requires you to be at five life to change into its back face is almost ridiculous in its demand. Not only is that number extremely low, but in a format that starts its players at 40 life, it's also going to take a lot of work to get there. If you're really intent on running lands that allow you to sacrifice creatures, consider cards like Miren, the Moaning Well or High Market instead.
Vance's Blasting Cannons / Spitfire Bastion: I'm not quite sure how to look at this card. The front side is essentially a locked Khans choice for Outpost Siege, which is a fine ability if you're looking for it. Red has been getting a number of cards with the Elkin Bottle ability in recent years so this is more or less expected. The reverse face is a repeatable source of damage that feels like an intersection between Shivan Gorge and Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle. Activating a land and tapping three others for the Bastion ability feels a little expensive since you're essentially tying up four mana sources for three damage, but repeatable sources of damage on permanents is nice for fast Red lists since it gives them a way to ensure they have damage output as turns pass. Like some of the other double-faced cards in Ixalan, the trigger to transform this card is optional, which is a nice benefit for a card like this since both sides offer distinct benefits. Overall I think there is value to be had here, but not every deck will be able to use it.
Growing Rites of Itlimoc / Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun: Without a doubt, this is the Transform card in the set that turned the most heads when it was revealed. This design is a take on the classic land Gaea's Cradle, and it offers possibly the best value among its peers. Because the transformation trigger happens at the end of the turn instead of the upkeep, this card doesn't have to survive through a full round at the table to become the land side, which is a huge benefit for the card’s controller. Plus, unlike Gaea's Cradle, the transformed Itlimoc can always tap for mana, even if there are no creatures on the field. This is a gigantic card for the format, and it's likely going to become a mainstay in nearly all mono-Green decks and many multicolored creature-based lists that utilize Green as a central color.
Conqueror's Galleon / Conqueror's Foothold: Of all the transform cards in the set, this one is probably the least mechanically connected between its two faces. In terms of flavor, it's a cool idea to have a ship that floats up to a new continent and becomes the first landed settlement there, but I'm honestly less interested in this one as a card just because there's no real intersection of flavor and mechanics compared to the others. Some people are comparing this card’s back face to Trading Post, but I'm not sure if that comparison is entirely apt. I do think it’s a decent draw engine, though, and the fact that you can essentially improve how it functions by giving it more mana is a neat card design. The front is pretty lackluster overall but it's fairly easy to transform, so it's going to come down to whether or not playing the back half is worth including the front. Might be worth a test run, in any event.
Dowsing Dagger / Lost Vale: The Dagger is the only member of the transforming artifacts in this set that's an Equipment, which gives it a bit of a different feel compared to some of the others. I really enjoy the flavor of having to hack through the underbrush to find your way to the land on the other side, even though this is mechanically minimized in multiplayer games by attacking a different player than the one you gave the Plant tokens. Still, it's a cool idea. The land on the reverse side is a callback to Lotus Vale, itself a variant on arguably the most famous Magic card ever, Black Lotus. Three mana from one permanent is always beneficial and welcome in this format where mana costs can run high, and I think this is worth testing out in any deck that wants to swing in but has limited access to mana ramp.
Primal Amulet / Primal Wellspring: This is an amazing card for spell-based decks that want to win outside of combat. Reactive control decks that run a high number of counterspells or other manipulative spell cards will see an immediate return with a card like this one, and aggressive spell-based decks will appreciate the capacity to double down on each spell they cast. The back face plays as a sort of Pyromancer's Goggles analogue but works for any instant or sorcery, making it an upgrade on that card for decks that run more than one color. The transformation trigger is also optional on this card, which is great as it allows players to choose how they want to utilize it. In the earlier parts of the game, the Jace's Sanctum-style cost reduction is more useful, while the reverse side is functionally a finisher in some lists and better suited to the later turns. Giving the player control of when the card transforms allows this to be exactly the card it needs to be as it’s needed. I think this card will see a lot of play as time goes on.
Thaumatic Compass / Spires of Orazca: The front side of this card is a nice piece for decks that don't have a lot of access to land acceleration, essentially acting as a repeatable Expedition Map for basics. It's not terribly exciting, but it's a useful activation that a number of decks will be able to make use of. The land half is a renovated version of Maze of Ith that only works on opponents' creatures. These two cards have little to really do with each other in a mechanical sense, but there is a bit of flavor here in that you have to use the compass to find your way through other places to get to the land on the reverse side. I like to think of these cards similarly to things like modal spells and split cards in that they offer multiple types of value without taking up extra card slots. This card is probably the best example of that thinking. Truthfully, I think the front side is just more useful than the back in most situations, but the fact that it turns into something that has value in the late game earns it points. Overall I think it's quite good.
Treasure Map / Treasure Cove: This is an interesting piece and one of only a handful of transform cards in Ixalan that don’t feel specifically tied to cards from previous sets. In this instance, though, it may be because this is one of the set’s mechanical highlight cards, exemplifying the Treasure token mechanic. The activated ability of the front side is quite useful for a number of decks, and once it flips into the land it offers an alternate way to spend Treasure tokens, which is nice. This is another card that I think will gain more benefit when Rivals of Ixalan releases and additional Treasure-making cards are added to the game. As it is right now, one of the best ways to use this card is in a deck that can flicker or bounce permanents, allowing you to rebuild the Treasure tokens once you've exhausted them. There’s definitely value there but it’ll be interesting to see how this card evolves once there’s more opportunity to find Treasure.
Checkland Reprints: These are great lands that are certainly useful in any deck that can run them, and are often my personal first "go-to" when I start working on a multicolor land base. When building a new deck from scratch, these are an ideal place to start a land suite, and they’re an inexpensive and readily available way to upgrade the land base of a preconstructed deck once changes start being made. There's not much to say about them otherwise, but it's nice to have them that much more available with a new printing.
And that’s Ixalan! Thanks for reading this article. If you have any additional thoughts about any of these cards and want to make your voice heard, feel free to post a comment or send me a message. I hope that this huge, amorphous mass of words helps your deckbuilding endeavors in the future.
