Top 5 Cards for Black* in Aetherdrift!
Howdy, Swamp-lovers!
It's that time again. Feels like it's been a while since we did a real set review--likely because I skipped Foundations. I didn't think that set, with a lot of reprints and simplified cards, was really going to make a splash in the meta, so I forewent the usual review. I think time has proved that decision the correct one--most of the crazy things happening in the format are coming from the forgotten annals in the other sets like OTJ, Bloomburrow, and Duskmourne. But now we've got some new toys to play with, so lets dig into em!
Erm...
See, I'm actually pretty underwhelmed by the black cards in this set. I feel like they went way too safe with them--they all either cost a little too much mana, or don't give enough oomph for the mana or resources they cost, or the play patterns within the card conflict. Case in point:
Why does this both tap to surveil AND costs a mana? Why does it only surveil 1 for that amount of resources? Why in the world is it a 3/1 when you don't want to attack with it, because if you attack with it you can't use its ability??? So much wrong with it, when it's right on the cusp of greatness!
Perhaps I digress. There are some real fun toys in here, at least, so let's get into it, starting with an honorable mention.
Honorable Mention: The Last Ride
I have very little idea on how to rate this card. On the one hand, it's a very strange ability to put on a vehicle. If I want to use it to beat down a la Death's Shadow, it can be hard to do that because I have to crew it. Then again, making it a vehicle means we can play it on turn 1, leave it alone, then animate it if/when it gets big to grind the opponent under our wheels. Having it sit on the battlefield, threating card advantage if the opponent doesn't force us to spend mana, is a real deal, and the more we draw and sit back, the bigger this thing gets.
But stabilizing at a low life total is a big ask in the current format. Too much can go wrong. There's real power in this card, I don't doubt that, but I don't really see where it finds a home, either in this life (AKA Standard) or the next (AKA Future Standard). Time will tell whether this one gets its time in the sun.
#5: The Aetherspark
Okay, once again, I have to work under the excuse that we're choosing the best cards FOR black decks in Standard, not NECESSARILY the best black cards. Also given the lower card quality in the color these days, I feel comfortable tossing this in at #5.
Since losing Sorin the Mirthless, Black REALLY has been hungering for a four mana noncreature value card, and this one fits quite nicely, especially considering that the best early cards in the format are creatures. A 4 mana planeswalker, that can protect itself, that brings value, that synergizes quite well with powerful 3 mana creatures like Unstoppable Slasher or Preacher of the Schism, is exactly what the doctor ordered. It does conflict with Unholy Annex a little, as if you curve Annex into this you have nothing to attach to, but given how creature heavy black decks are looking to be lately, I think that's an okay thing to risk. Expect to see The Aetherspark powering up some zombies or vampires in the future.
#4: Gas Guzzler
I've seen a lot of people complaining about this one, and I just don't get the hate. A black 2/1 that starts your engines honestly would have been fine (probably not worthy of rare at that point, but worth considering), as Black has really been missing a critical mass of good aggressive one drops. Forsaken Miner is good, but what else do you put in--Cult Conscript? Yuck. The extra option to draw is exactly what a Black Aggro deck is looking for! In that kind of deck you're looking to curve out, and starting with this means you can have max speed as early as turn four, right around when you're gonna be looking to refill and get a few cards. Moreover, Black is ALL ABOUT recursive threats (like the aforementioned Miner), so needing to sacrifice a creature to draw a card is not that big of a deal. Couple that with descend aggro pieces like Corpses of the Lost, and the picture starts to come together. I think this card has real potential in an aggressive black shell. Let's put it to the test!
#3: Bloodghast
A very welcome reprint, I must say. Only a few years ago the closest equivalent was Skyclave Shade, which I don't think was as powerful as Bloodghast. Oh how the times have changed! Remember us talking about a recursive black deck? This fits right into there. It's a little underpowered for it's cost, sure, but the fact that it keeps on coming back for zero investment of resources is a HUGE deal. Imagine sacrificing this to Guzzler, drawing, and immediately bringing this back. That's a great play pattern in and of itself.
Couple that with the fact that we already have brews involving heavy black-based self mill, and this would fit the bill even more so. With some of the additions to black in this set, we have a SURPRISING amount of self-mill and grind, that could really come together into something big. I expect to see Bloodghast reviving itself many, many times before it rotates.
#2: Quag Feast
WE CAN KILL VEHICLES.
It doesn't see anywhere near as much play these days, but I remember when Subterranean Schooner was all over the place, killing it was a nightmare. You can't Throat it. You can't Cut Down it. You can't Liliana it.
But now you can Quag Feast it! Two mana, mill cards, kill a Creature OR a Planeswalker OR a Vehicle? Sign me up. The cards in GY requirement is pretty milquetoast, it looks at any number of cards, so you can just play the game normally and slot this in when it's online and best. This card is incredibly playable on its own, but coupled with some sort of graveyard strategy, that is a big synergy. I expect this show up in all sorts of decks, but if there's a black graveyard strategy that makes it big, this will be a big part of why.
#1: The Speed Demon
When I spoke above about cards that are overcosted, underpowered... this one checks absolutely NONE of those boxes. 5 mana 5/5 flampler may not be STELLAR, but it's solid on rate. But the fact that it draws cards? It could draw more than one? And it's at end step so you don't have to wait a whole turn cycle to cash in? That's a slam dunk of a card--and the icing on the cake is that it's a DEMON. Need I remind you that Unholy Annex exists, and not only that, you can stack the triggers on Annex and this in such a way that the Annex triggers to drain your opponent, get you up to 2 speed, and then you draw two more with Speed Demon?
No this card is not going to be showing up in lots of copies. But when it shows up, it WILL make an impact, it WILL take over the game, and it WILL continue to do that for it's lifespan in Standard. That's number 1 card material in my book.
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