War never changes

The complete preview for War of the Spark was released last Friday, April 19^th, and we finally have the full picture of what this much-anticipated set has in store for us.

There is a lot to unpack in the set, between an unprecedented number of Planeswalkers, coloured Vehicles, fan favourite characters finally getting a card, new takes on existing characters, powerful mechanics making a splashing return and much, much more. The story itself is the culmination of years of conflicts. Almost everyone is here for the grand finale and an unprecedented number of heroes and villains have come to join the fight.  

With so much content available in the set, I am sure everyone can find something they like, here. So, while professional players and content creators provide their respective take on the set, I wanted to list my own ten favourite War of the Spark cards.

That said, this article will not focus on the story of War of the Spark per se. While many of the cards give away important plot details, the story itself deserves its own space and I think I would not do it justice by cramming everything together in a single article.

So, brace yourselves, because these are my ten favourite War of the Spark cards and I will be cheating a lot with this list.

Number 10: Ob Nixilis’s Cruelty (and other commons)

Let’s start softly, shall we? Ob Nixilis’s Cruelty is a very simple and splashable common removal that I am sure will be quite potent in War of the Spark Limited. Exiling most of the Creatures for three Mana is no joke by today’s standards, but what I truly like about this card is its potential application in Pauper Cube.

The “format” has some pretty well defined benchmarks for Black Instant speed spot removals: two Mana will get you a conditional removal, while three will give you a splashable quasi-unconditional removal. Ob Nixilis’s Cruelty compares quite well with cards like Rend Flesh and I am really interested to see if the card can sneak in the already stacked section of Black removals.

The set also features another interesting spot removal in Jaya’s Greeting. The card is another take on Searing Spear, trading off the chance to hit players for a certainly not unwelcome Scry 1 effect. Is it better than Incinerate? Probably not, but it still looks like a very solid card for anyone looking to expand on their Red removal section.

And let’s not forget War of the Spark features more than just aggressively costed common removal. Spark Reaper is a very solid draw engine at common. Aven Eternal is very reminiscent of Eldrazi Skyspawner, a very solid card from Battle for Zendikar. Invading Manticore is a bit slow for my tastes, but I am sure Pauper Cube players looking for a big Red Creature can be happy with this new card.

While I am slightly on the fence about some of these for my Cube, I am certain many Pauper Cube players will be looking at War of the Spark and find new, interesting toys.

Number 9: Tibalt, Rakish Instigator (and his fellow Red Planeswalkers)

I like Tibalt. I really do. On paper, he is an insanely interesting and cool character. A master of pain that turned himself into a half-Demon and now wanders the Multiverse as the herald of torture? The character himself is terrifying, but, unfortunately, his name has become synonym with disappointment.

To me, Tibalt has always been the Magic equivalent of Star Wars’ Darth Maul. On paper, an amazingly menacing villain with a terrifying aesthetic and a lot of potential. In practice, a short-lived low-level boss that had minimal impact on the overall saga.

Fortunately for Darth Maul, his character was largely expanded in the now noncanonical comic books. Tibalt, on the other hand, was not so lucky. His debut in card form was very underwhelming, to the point of becoming a joke among players. Unfortunately, we also had no chance to touch base with him after the Innistrad block, so not much was known about the character and his journey across the Multiverse.

But now Tibalt, Rakish Instigator is back and he is… Not bad? The card is nowhere near the game-breaking bombs we occasionally get, but he is finally very respectable. His static ability can be occasionally powerful and his activated ability can play as a repeatable Token generator for at least a couple of turns.

Is he the new Bitterblossom? Almost definitely not. But he is finally featured on a card that can be played unironically and this, to me, is a step in the right direction.

On top of Tibalt, Rakish Instigator being a relatively fine card, I am also very excited by his fellow Red Planeswalkers. For some reason I have decided to include every Red Planeswalker inside my Diaochan Chaos deck and this set is providing me with four new interesting additions to the deck: Tibalt, Rakish Instigator, Chandra, Fire Artisan, Sarkhan the Masterless and Jaya, Venerated Firemage. Are some of them borderline mediocre? Absolutely, but so is the deck.

Number 8: Roalesk, Apex Hybrid (and Merfolk Skydiver)

War of the Spark features the return of Proliferate, a non-evergreen mechanic first introduced in Scars of Mirrodin. Last time we saw it, the mechanic was fairly well received, thanks to the number of applications and effects it could have on Creatures, permanents and players. It is no secret that Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice is among the most powerful and popular Legendary Creatures in Commander, thanks to her repeatable and automatic Proliferate activation, as well as the deck building options she provides.

Roalesk, Apex Hybrid is no Atraxa, but it is still a card I am extremely interested in. He falls into the sweet five Mana spot that makes me dream of including him in my Kruphix Creatures deck, simply to have a play sequence of Prime Speaker Vannifar, followed by Roalesk on the next turn, only to immediately sacrifice him with Vannifar to go get Prime Speaker Zegana from the deck and put her into play. All the flavours of Simic.

Speaking of my Kruphix deck, I am a huge fan of cheap Creatures providing good Mana sinks and Merfolk Skydiver is a great example of what uncommon cards can do with Proliferate. With Kruphix, God of Horizons storing all of my unused Mana, this Mana sink is certainly a welcome tool in the deck. Especially in light of the fact that the deck features a strong +1/+1 counter theme and is entirely Creature-focused.

Number 7: Karn’s Bastion (and Blast Zone)

If you like repeatable Proliferate activations, how about featuring the ability on a card that cannot be countered? Karn’s Bastion is here to power all your Planeswalkers up and, ironically, to spread poison counters across you opponents.

I must confess I find the card’s flavour a bit odd. I understand Karn wanting to protect his fellow Planeswalkers and how this translates into the proliferation of loyalty counters. But the fact that the card could be used to spread -1/-1 counters among opposing Creatures feels quite strange. Not to mention the implications inside an Infect strategy, towards which Karn probably has some very strong opinions.

That said, I also understand that redesigning the card to only affect loyalty counters would only complicate its wording, so let’s just silently agree that we like it as it is. And then promptly use it to kill our opponents by spreading poison counters.

Speaking of interesting effects on Lands, Blast Zone echoes Ratchet Bomb and it is certainly an impressive tool for all decks that can afford one colourless Land slot and may be able to hastily increase its charge counters. It is also worth noting that Blast Zone itself comes into play with a charge counter already up and running. And I don’t think I need to remind anyone that Proliferate is in the set. Set it off and have fun!

Number 6: Ashiok, Dream Render

Ashiok is back! I have been a fan of the character since the first appearance on Theros, thanks to the mysterious and nightmare-inducing aura Ashiok is imbued with. Many Vorthos players were speculating that the character could make an appearance in the Amonkhet block, as Ashiok’s clothes seemed to be vaguely Ancient Egypt-inspired.

Unfortunately, that turned out to not be the case and many fans have been clamouring for a return of the Nightmare Weaver for years. But now Ashiok is back and many Modern players are wondering how much of an impact the card is going to have.

Personally, I have happily featured a single copy of Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver in the sideboard of my Modern Mill deck. The card is excellent in slower matchups, grinding away cards from the opponent’s library and occasionally spawning a key value Creature.

Ashiok, Dream Render, however, is a whole different beast. I am almost sure the card’s combination of a very good static ability and a consistent Mill engine makes it worthy of main deck usage in Modern Mill strategies. However, its strengths conflict heavily with two other powerful cards typically employed within that same strategy.

Archive Trap becomes almost unusable with Ashiok, Dream Render on the board. Unless prompted by a Path to Exile effect, the opponents cannot search their library on their own, meaning that a couple of Archive Traps may end up stranded in your hand. Sure, this could mean you are also blocking all their precious Fetchlands, but, unfortunately, this is not the only wrench Ashiok is throwing in your milling workings.

Visions of Beyond is another extremely powerful tool for Modern Mill decks, often playing as an Ancestral Recall in a format where even Ponder is banned. Visions of Beyond shines exclusively as part of Mill strategies, but its design conflicts heavily with Ashiok, Dream Render’s ability. While removing your opponent’s Graveyard is rarely a downside, the trade-off between the two cards is quite awkward.

I fully expect Ashiok, Dream Render to end up in my Modern Mill deck, but the hardest part will be to decide if the card is worthy of main deck play or just of sideboard slots.

Number 5: Nissa’s Triumph

War of the Spark promised us Planeswalkers, great story moments and dire conflicts. One thing that I was certainly not expecting was a Land tutor that could either work as a smaller Seek the Horizon or, potentially, a way better Sylvan Scrying.

Enter Nissa’s Triumph, an unexpected, but certainly welcome new tool for any Land-based Commander deck. If you are playing at least one Nissa, there is a chance this card is going to be extremely powerful in your deck, possibly fetching three key Lands, such as Dark Depths, Thespian’s Stage, Inkmoth Nexus, Kessig Wolf Run or Glacial Chasm.

If you are not playing any Nissa Planeswalkers, you are still in for an unconditional Green Tithe, finding two Forests for just two Mana. Still not a bad deal, all in all.

I am quite sure the card will be extensively tested in my Borborygmos deck, which, coincidentally, already features a copy of Nissa, Vital Force. While I am sure most of the times I will be referring to Nissa’s Triumph as just a Green Divination, the occasional chance to three-for-one and get some key Lands is definitely an interesting feat.

Number 4: Ugin, the Ineffable (and Mana rocks)

First things first: when the card was first revealed, I read it as “Ugin the Inflatable” and this is how I’m going to call it in all my future games. I just can’t shake off the idea of a giant inflatable Ugin balloon parading as part of Macy’s Thanksgiving celebrations.

That said, no matter how you call it, the card itself is fantastic. Picture him inside any colourless or Artifact-based Commander deck: his static ability is a cost reduction for many of your cards, his +1 ability is a play on Manifest that somehow provides card advantage and his -3 ability is a form of almost unconditional removal.

Sure, his rate is not excellent, costing six Mana and entering the battlefield with only four loyalty counters, but with abilities like these, I am all in favour of risking a little bit with some relatively unconvincing numbers. Even if he dies shortly after the activation of his second ability, you’ll have traded six Mana for any coloured permanent. Not too bad, especially if you are in colour combinations that struggle with permanent removal.

I can only dream of what the card is going to do inside my Kozilek deck. Ramping into Ugin, the Ineffable before the fourth turn of the game, only to unlock an even more explosive follow-up fifth turn is going to be amazing.

Speaking colourless cards, the new Mana Geode and Firemind Vessel are also worth mentioning. If you are looking for Mana fixing or you just jam every Mana rock you can in your deck, don’t let these cards fly under your radar. While I am not sure I will be sliding both in my Kozilek deck, I wanted to point out Firemind Vessel is very similar to a card I had theorized in a recent article. I understand the design space around Mana rocks is fairly limited, but what an amusing coincidence!

Number 3: Living Twister

It’s not always that we get a card that just fits perfectly inside existing an Commander strategy. And I am not talking about generically powerful cards that just play well in any deck that can run them. Those are fine, but they don’t feel thatunique.

Sometimes a set features a card that is just meant to flawlessly slide inside one of your Commander decks, supporting or enriching a very specific strategy you were already focusing on. Enter Living Twister, the answer to a question I was probably the only one asking: can I get another Mina and Denn, Wildborn, but cheaper?

Living Twister is so good in Land-based strategies that I am almost sure it was originally pitched as a new version of Borborygmos Enraged. While I can only hope The M-Files for War of the Spark feature a bit more background and insights on how this card was conceived and fine-tuned, I am beyond thrilled to include it in my Borborygmos deck.

With Borborygmos Enraged out, Living Twister works as one of your best engines to convert Green Mana into Lightning Bolts at a staggering rate. Without Borborygmos Enraged out, it really makes a good impression, filling in for your Commander with a very similar play pattern. For more information on Borborygmos and how you can play a ramp deck in Commander without going for the big and overused Creature payoffs, feel free to check this analysis on resource transformation and Land management.

Number 2: the trailer

Ok, I am cheating, here. This is not a card, but I really wanted to mention how good the War of the Spark trailer was. It is by far the best trailer we have had in Magic so far. Both the animation and the music were absolutely perfect. Rarely do we get a game trailer that so effectively pulls you into the story without feeling cheesy or on-the-nose.

Let’s be honest. If you had told me beforehand that the trailer was going to feature an ominous cover of Linking Park’s “In the End”, I would have expected nothing more than an early 2000s Dragon Ball Z AMV. Instead, we got a cinematic, well directed and emotionally impactful trailer that delivered the feelsbeyond my best expectations.

Somehow Wizards had the audacity of killing Dack Fayden in the trailer and it still managed to not be the highlight of the two-minute video. The moments when Liliana witnesses the death of a little girl trying to protect her brother, remembers her oath and turns against Bolas are all truly phenomenal. You could really see every single one of Liliana’s conflicted thoughts, feelings and emotions, thanks to a superb animation.

This is now the new gold standard for Magic trailers and if we can expect something at this level for every upcoming set, I am beyond hyped for what the future has in store.

Number 1: Evolution Sage (and Grateful Apparition)

My favourite card from the set is an uncommon. Not a Mythic Planeswalker, not an insane Vehicle, not a Multiverse-breaking Sorcery. A simple 3/2 for three Mana with just one simple triggered ability: whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, proliferate.

Evolution Sage is just awesome. The raw power of this effect is simply absurd. Do you have a Fetchland? Your opponents get two poison counters, you put two additional +1/+1 counters on all your creatures that already carry them, your Planeswalkers get two additional loyalty counters.

You also increase the -1/-1 counter count on your opponents’ creatures if they already have them, you get experience counters if you care about them, your Azor’s Elocutors get additional filibuster counters, you power up your Lux Cannon, you flip your Treasure Map and you speed up your Ascensions. I love me an active Luminarch Ascension and Evolution Sage allows you to get there just by playing Lands.

This card is stunning and I can’t wait to play it in my Saskia Infect deck. Is the board becoming too crowded for an effective assault? Let’s just lay back, play some Lands and kill some opponents.

On a similar vein, I also wanted to mention Grateful Apparition as another very interesting new tool for Infect decks in Commander. This new card is almost exactly a colour-shifted version of Thrummingbird, with the additional bonus of triggering when it hits Planeswalkers. While not as impressive as Evolution Sage, I think it is still worthy of an inclusion in most Infect or Planeswalker-themed decks, especially those that do not already have access to Blue and to Thrummingbird specifically.

Bonus round: best art and flavour text

Preferences in art and flavour are obviously subjective. Although we can all agree that some Magic illustrations are objectively astonishing, most of our appreciation towards pieces of art is dictated by personal tastes and preferences. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Nevertheless, I really wanted to mention my favourite pieces of art and flavour text from the set. Again, I am no art critic, nor a literature expert, so I am sure a more erudite player would be able to provide a way better assessment. Still, this is what I like.

So, in my very humble opinion, the best piece of art in the entire set belongs to Noah Bradley and his illustration for Commence the Endgame.

I can see why this may feel like an easy or fairly obvious pick, with the art itself prominently used to promote the whole set since the first days of preview season. But the composition, the level of detail and the pathos this art emanates are beautiful. While the set features a number of truly great pieces of art, I’d like to think Noah Bradley’s Commence the Endgame is what War of the Spark should be remembered for, art-wise.

Just to make sure we don’t leave two other great pieces of art unmentioned, I must also confess the illustrations for Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor and Narset, Parter of Veils equally deserve a spot near the top, to me. Magali Villeneuve has been one of the most consistent and appreciated artists in recent Magic history and these pieces are no exception. The fluidity of the robes and hair are simply spectacular.

Now, flavour texts are a completely different beast. I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room. The flavour text for Commence the Endgame is also spectacular. It is so perfectly villainous, so deeply Nicol Bolas. It is what the ideal tagline for a War of the Spark movie poster should be. “Even gods shall kneel“. You can hear him say it!

However, in the midst of all this hubris, with everything that is happening on Ravnica, with so much flavour text focusing on battles and things that people should and should not do, a specific piece of flavour text resonated particularly well with me. Not the tongue-in-cheek jokes, nor the many lines about how important this battle is. Not the lines about defiance and duty. But a simple paragraph on what true heroism is. My favourite flavour text in the set belongs to Ignite the Beacon.

“If you can’t save yourself, you fight to give someone else a chance“. Rarely has Ajani been my favourite character in a story arc, but this line is just perfect. I like how simple and natural it is, how there is no rhetoric in his words. This is not a cheesy line from a random action hero. As if it were the most spontaneous thing imaginable, once all hope is lost for him, all he can think of is giving someone else a chance to fight. It’s perfect.

Number 0: whatever you like

As always, each Magic sets comes with a number of amazing new cards that each player can enjoy in their own way. War of the Spark is especially rich of interesting cards, thanks to its plethora or Planeswalkers, amazing story moments and great mechanics.

I have narrowed down my personal list to ten cards that really caught my attention, but I am sure most players would have a completely different and equally awesome list. Actually, my list features something like fifteen cards and a trailer, but you get the point. Of course, there is a lot more that intrigued me, but I had to leave out something.

For example, I am still very on the fence regarding Soul Diviner. Either it’s an insanely good draw engine for my Grimgrin deck, or I am going to not find any room for it and it will remain on the cutting room floor, simply due to the lack of available slots.

Similarly, Casualties of War is an insanely interesting and flexible card, but the relevant Mana cost and the fact that it is a Sorcery still make me wonder whether or not I should include it in my Saskia Infect deck. The card itself is great, but the deck is leaning towards a very aggressive strategy and, at the moment, I am not sure Casualties of War will actually make the cut.

Jace, Wielder of Mysteries features and extremely interesting design and Liliana, Dreadhorde General carries a truly impressive set of abilities. The Wanderer certainly bring a lot of mystery along and who can ignore Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God‘s absurd static ability, gathering onto himself all loyalty abilities from every other Planeswalker in play?

The set will also be remembered for finally giving us Fblthp, the Lost, Massacre Girl and Feather, the Redeemed in card form, after years of appearances in arts, stories and flavour texts. Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves is also back, this time with a set of abilities that make me feel like Thragtusk is back in Standard. Not to mention Niv-Mizzet Reborn is the dream of any Commander player looking for a new interesting take on multicolour.

And let’s not forget this is the first time Magic is featuring coloured Vehicles. Parhelion II is especially awesome, with its strong Final Fantasy and Last Exile vibe.

Liliana’s Triumph is probably the best Diabolic Edict we have ever seen in Modern, which really makes me think that True-Name Nemesis may be soon featured in Modern Horizons, finally becoming Modern playable.

As always, to each their own! I am sure War of the Spark will be remembered as a very rich set in terms of density of interesting contents. And, very likely, most of you reading my review have already found something that tickles your deck building fantasies.

As always, enjoy this set the way you like it! There is plenty of interesting new tools to quench your thirst for deck building… At least until Modern Horizons comes out!