Hello Everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel Show, and today we're diving into one of my favorite mechanics to emerge in recent years: Backup. Introduced in March of the Machine, this mechanic cleverly blends entering-the-battlefield effects, +1/+1 counters, and ability-sharing. It was also released in its very own precon deck in this set appropriately titled "Call for backup." This was released alongside four other precons with a Knight typal deck, an Incubate deck, a convoke themed deck, and an interesting artifact themed Temur deck titled "Tinker Time." Before we dive into this mechanic as well as its potential strengths and weaknesses, let's break down how it actually works.

What is Backup in Magic?

Whenever a creature with Backup enters the battlefield, you get to place a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature equal to the Backup value. If you choose a different creature as the target, that creature also temporarily gains every ability listed under the Backup mechanic on the original creature until the end of the turn.

In essence, when a creature with Backup enters, you have a choice: either bolster itself with a +1/+1 counter or enhance another creature. If you opt for the latter, the other creature inherits the abilities of the Backup creature for that turn. This can range from simple buffs like flying or trample to more powerful effects, like the one on Emergent Woodwurm, which can start cheating permanents into play from the top of your deck.

Why is Backup Unique?

What makes this mechanic particularly interesting is that it's unlike anything we've seen before. The closest comparison might be the Soulbond mechanic from Avacyn Restored, which allowed two paired creatures to share abilities. However, Soulbond lasted as long as both creatures were on the battlefield. Backup, on the other hand, is a temporary effect that expires at the end of the turn, adding a layer of strategy in timing and decision-making.

The Strengths of Backup

The true strength of the Backup mechanic lies in its synergy with entering-the-battlefield effects and haste enablers. If you have a Panharmonicon in play, for example, you can trigger the Backup ability multiple times, significantly increasing your board's power by giving multiple creatures the backup effect in a single turn. Additionally, if the creature with Backup has haste, it doesn't just lend its abilities--it can use them itself in the same turn. Take Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener as an example; it can double the +1/+1 counters on evasive creatures twice in one turn, making for explosive plays. In the right situation the quadrupling of +1/+1 counters could even be a lethal attack on a player.

The +1/+1 counters also open up a world of synergies with other counter-based strategies, making it easy to integrate Backup into various deck archetypes. Unlike some newer mechanics that require strict synergy, Backup has enough flexibility to be peppered into decks without demanding complete thematic cohesion. For example, I have a Kogla, the Titan Ape deck that wants to play humans that can be bounced back to hand to recast again for value, so a card like Doomskar Warrior is incredibly strong because it grants trample, a +1/+1 counter every time it is cast, and also provides card advantage.

Potential Weaknesses

Of course, no mechanic is without its downsides. One challenge with Backup is that some aspects of the mechanic can create anti-synergies within your deck. For instance, if you use a card like Cloudshift to blink a creature, any +1/+1 counters on that creature will disappear.

Another limitation is the relatively shallow pool of cards with the Backup mechanic. Currently, there are only 25 cards across all five colors that feature Backup. If you want to build a commander deck around this mechanic, the options narrow even further. As of now, the only legendary creature with Backup is Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener, limiting you to a narrow color combination and a pool of just 20 cards. This means that if you're aiming for synergy, you might find yourself including all available Backup cards, regardless of their individual power level. Because of this, you have to really walk a tough line between building a cohesive deck that has a level strong enough to keep up with the table and committing to the flavor of the mechanic to the point of sacrificing efficiency in the name of fun.

Final Thoughts

Despite its limitations, I've thoroughly enjoyed playing with the Backup mechanic, and I've even built a Bright-Palm deck of my own. To avoid relying too heavily on the weaker Backup cards, I've incorporated a lot of +1/+1 counter synergies, giving the deck more consistency and power. While the current card pool is limited, I believe Backup is a unique mechanic with a lot of potential. Hopefully, we'll see more Backup cards and maybe even some interesting variations in future sets.