More First Takes on Theros Beyond Death

Posted on January 7, 2020

Last week was so much fun I am back for another round. I will check out some recently officially spoiled cards from Theros: Beyond Death for the first time and I will give my initial thoughts and how many I would purchase (paper MTG, MTGO) or craft (MTG Arena). All of my thoughts and recommendations come with Standard in mind, I don't participate consistently in other formats.

Purphoros's Intervention

Sorcery

Choose one -

Create an X/1 red Elemental creature token with trample and haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.

Purphoros's Intervention deals twice X damage to target creature or planeswalker.

"I bring a fire to recast all the world."

Pros: The card is flexible enough to play well with Spectacle cards like Light Up the Stage because you can make your X/1 elemental token whatever size works best. The removal side is less efficient early. You get 2 damage for two mana, or 4 damage for three mana at sorcery speed, and those cards would be inferior to other options. The fact you keep scaling up is notable. When was the last time your Red deck had six points of removal damage for 4 mana? Oh, did I mention I can target a planeswalker? Suddenly burning up a Nissa, Who Shakes the World doesn't seem completely impossible.

Cons: I suspect a hand with multiples of this card would be clunky. You want one copy of this spell at the right time. Sorcery speed keeps the removal side from being extremely useful. The opponent can plan for this and hold up cheap instant speed removal or a Mayhem Devil trigger if you reveal this off of Light Up the Stage. The card still doesn't solve the Wicked Wolf problem or the Food token problem that Red faces in the Throne of Eldraine meta.

Verdict: Get two copies of this card, I doubt you would play more than that in aggressive or midrange Red decks.

Erebos's Intervention

Instant

Choose one -

Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. You gain X life.

Exile up to twice X target cards from graveyards.

"I bring a death none can escape."

Again with the interventions! Where were all these interventions when Oko, Thief of Crowns and Field of the Dead were legal!

Pros: Indestructible enchantment-god creatures are going to see plenty of play early in the format while we assess their power level (and it looks high), so a -X/-X spell is a good thing to have. Instant speed is also crucial, because you want to deal with the enchantment-god creatures when they turn on, which will almost always be on their controller's turn when they cast another permanent to meet the devotion requirement. Erebos's Intervention has another flexible mode in case your opponent isn't playing creatures. Everyone has a graveyard, and the graveyard is expected to be important in the Theros: Beyond Death meta thanks to the Escape mechanic. Lifegain has become more important in a meta that revolves around tempo as the player making the first move can keep applying pressure until the opponent dies. A card that removes a threat and heals gives the player going second a better chance of stabilizing. In dream scenarios the card is a late game mana sink that blows out an opponent during what they thought could be a lethal attack.

Cons: The rate of return isn't good. High toughness creatures will be hard to pick off, and unlike Purphoros's Intervention, you can't hit planeswalkers with this. It is very unclear how well Escape cards will play in Standard. The current format is high-powered with little time for grindy graveyard shenanigans. If the second mode isn't extremely useful, this is a substandard rate removal spell.

Verdict: I will be getting one copy of Erebos's Intervention to try in Esper and Dimir control decks, and if you want to pass on this one and let someone else play-test it I wouldn't blame you.

Haktos the Unscarred

Legendary Creature - Human Warrior

Haktos the Unscarred attacks each combat if able.

As Haktos enters the battlefield, choose 2, 3, or 4 at random.

Haktos has protection from each converted mana cost other than the chosen number.

"Many have sought my weakness. All have failed."

6/1

I believe Haktos the Unscarred is our first ever card to gain protection mana costs. Void Winnower did nasty things to cards with even casting costs, but I don't remember a card like Haktos the Unscarred being printed. I misread this card badly at first, thinking it had protection from only the two casting costs not selected. Wrong. This card has protection from every casting cost except the selected one. It has protection from 0, 1, 5, 6, 7 ect always, and protection from 2, 3, and 4 most of the time with the exception of one of those, chosen at random.

Pros: Depending on the removal played in the format and the casting costs of card in your opponent's deck, this card might be unkillable and unblockable.

Cons: I thought this card was bad. Now I have no idea. There will be many cases where this card can be a death sentence for the opponent. It hits hard, but almost any creature or spell from the randomly chosen cost will kill it because of the 1 toughness. Then again, you could make your deck and strategy around removing/nullifying cards of a specific casting cost and ignoring everything else.

Verdict: This card is weird, and I already misunderstood it badly once (shout-out to the editor!). I will pick up one, throw it in the Boros decks, and see what happens.

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling

Legendary Enchantment Creature - God

Indestructible

As long as your devotion to blue is less than five, Thassa isn't a creature.

At the beginning of your end step, exile up to one other target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.

: Tap another target creature.

6/5

Thassa is back and they are now the master of blinks. What does this do for the once God of the Sea?

Pros: Five devotion was reasonable in the last Standard with Theros gods, and it looks to be doable in this Standard. Arcanist's Owl gets you there on its own, while Gadwick, the Wizened gets you one point away. A 6/5 indestructible body for four is well above average for Blue. I think the right question to ask is if these abilities are useful.

Cons: I am not sure these abilities are useful. Tapping another target creature for 4 mana is not a good rate. It will come up at times, but I expect it to happen rarely. The blink ability has me curious. It doesn't target, so Fblthp, the Lost is an option. Blinking the Arcanist's Owl is much more interesting because of the new enchantments Theros: Beyond Death is introducing. The more I think about it, the more I think Arcanist's Owl and Thassa, Deep-Dwelling will be best friends because the Arcanist's Owl can dig for Thassa, Deep-Dwelling because she is an enchantment creature. However, that isn't a clean curve and a 3/3 flying body for four mana isn't terrorizing this Standard format any time soon. The raw stats are there, but I don't see them taking over the battlefield fast enough.

Verdict: I will be getting three copies of Thassa, Deep-Dwelling to see if my favorite color, Blue, can find a successful Devotion-themed deck in this new Standard. Do not craft if you are not a devoted Blue fan.

Spoilers will be revealed at a fast and furious pace this week, as Wizards of the Coast tries to hype us into a devoted frenzy! I am looking for some cheap removal spells to slow down the current meta, and I would love to see some serious Devotion payoffs outside of Gray Merchant of Asphodel, because right now Black is winning spoiler season by a mile. Seriously, how do you not play this pile?