New information is always hard to teach and learn. One of the hallmarks of good educators and learners is their ability to connect new information and ideas to old ones that are similar. Finding these comparisons is also valuable when looking at a new mechanic in Magic. Today I want to share with you my analysis of Metalcraft.

Metalcraft as a mechanic is both simple and hard to evaluate. The Metalcraft ability basically creates two different cards to disect. First, the card without any Metalcraft bonus and second, the card after Metalcraft is applied. It's like having a house built in Kansas vs. California. If I build a house in Kansas I can plan on it be worth significantly less than if that same house would be built in California. Getting three artifacts would be like transporting a house from Kansas to California. The question is whether the cost of getting three artifacts is worth it.

To evaluate the cost I'll start with the cards. Looking at each Metalcraft by color and cross comparing them to cards that have already been printed. For each card I'll do a cost comparison for it in Kansas (no Metalcraft) and in California (with Metalcraft).

White

Auriok Edgewright – As a vanilla 2/2 for 2 the Edgewright comes out pretty even. I'm not saying that Bears are worthy of Constructed Formats only that the cost to value is on the average. If Metalcraft is active then the card becomes worth slightly more. I found 3 comparables; Crypt Champion, Hearthfire Hobgoblin, and Kinsbaile Cavalier. Their mana cost is either 3 or 4 with most of them coming in at 4cmc. Kansas rating = push. California = +2

Auriok Sunchaser – As a non Metalcraft we only get a 1/1 for 2 mana. In any color this is pathetic. 1/1's should be one drops unless their abilities compensate for lack of Power and Toughness. 1/1 one drops often have abilities as well. In Scars we even gain a 1/1 for zero mana. However, gaining Metalcraft options our little Sunchaser gets hot. 3/3 flyers are abundant in the history of the game. Just looking at Extended yields over 20 comparables. Basically the list boils down to this. 3/3 flyers cost 4 if they are vanilla or their extra abilities have their own mana cost and 3/3 flyers cost 5 if they are couple with a good static or triggered ability. Since the Sunchaser gets nothing more than being a 3/3 flyer we'll set its value at 4 cmc. Kansas rating= -1. California = +2

Dispense Justice – I've always loved Cruel Edict. It gets around Shroud, Regeneration, and indestructibility. Now we have it at Instant speed. Only problem is that it has to be an attacker. That's not as much of a drawback as you might think. Imagine you're in a stalemate where your ground forces equate theirs. They topdeck a stud flyer, let's say a Baneslayer. With Cruel Edict you would only net one of their expendable ground troops. With Dispense Justice you net the Angel. Gaining Instant speed for only one extra mana and an attacking clause may be worth it. With Metalcraft it goes up to 2 creatures. I thought that this was unique but I did find one comparable. The Ends side of Odds//Ends is exactly the same at a whooping 5 mana with double colors. Kansas rating= push to +0.5. California = +2 (that's a strong 2).

Ghalma's Warden – Blah, Blah a 2/4. Why does Wizards make Elephants so bland? There are plenty of 2/4's to choose from for comparables but most of them have extra abilities. A Vanilla 2/4 can only be found at 4 cmc. But there are also 4 cmc flyers, land fetchers, and Double Strikers so 4 mana may be paying too much for a plain Jane. In this expansion alone with have Kemba, Kha Regent which is a 2/4 plus gains a 2/2 every turn she lives. (See, Cats get all the love.) On the Metalcraft side each 4/6 out there has something extra to it. Taking into account how much these abilities add we can average a vanilla 4/6 to be worth slightly less than 5 cmc. Kansas rating = -1. California rating = +0.5.

Indomitable Archangel – A 4/4 flying for 4! By itself that is good, maybe even great. Only Tower Gargoyle has those stats and it took 3 colors to produce. Add the eventual Metalcraft in there and we come out even stronger. To be fair, Serra Angel gains vigilance for her extra mana and Battlegrace Angel gains Exalted and Lifelink for the extra mana but those ladies are pretty good company in my book. The addition we get from Metalcraft is the interesting point. How much is shroud on every artifact worth? For that you'll have to ask Hanna. Hanna's Custody gives your entire collection of artifacts shroud for 3 cmc. So in the right neighborhood this Angel is 4/4 flyer as well as a 3 cmc enchantment. Say one of those artifacts is Liquimetal Coating. Now I can Shroud the Angel as well. Kansas rating = +1. California rating = +4

Blue

Argent Sphinx – Nailing down a value for a 4/3 flyer is pretty tough. Most of the lots are like Reveillark and Air Servant who cost 5 but also bring bonus abilities. If they cost 4 or less then they come with a "drawback" like Esperzoa. Swans of Bryn Argoll ran in the 4 cmc category though so I'm going to say that the normal cmc for a 4/3 flyer is 4.5. The Metalcraft "Blink" ability is interesting. Turn to Mist and Liberate both do the job once for 2 mana. Astral Slide can serve the same purpose but requires the ability to Cycle. Only Mistmeadow Witch can do it repeated and her ability costs 3 more than the Sphinx. The real beauty of the Sphinx is the fact that it is blue. In that color a 4/3 flyer is some big muscle and you can leave mana open to "protect" it. Kansas rating = +0.5. California = +3ish.

Lumengrid Drake – 2/2 flyers normally cost 3 mana. If a flyer cost more than that it typically has some big bonus ability. We also have Kor Aeronaut coming in at a measly 2 cmc. So paying 4 is not worth it unless the Metalcraft gives us something good. Wow, I get a free Unsummon! Talk about a disappointment. So basically I need to effort up to three artifacts so this guy can give me the same effect as Aether Adept at 3 cmc. Kansas rating = -1. California rating = -1.

Screeching Silcaw – So it's another Storm Crow or a blue Armored Pegasus. A 1 / 2 flyer is about right at 2 cmc. The Metalcraft ability has me scratching my head. There really is no good comparison. Maybe Szadek, Lord of Secrets but he did more cards and grew with every hit so he could mill with 3 or 4 hits while the Silcaw would take about 10 to 12. Like the Drake I'm just not impressed with the Metalcraft on this guy. Kansas rating = push. California rating = push.

Stoic Rebuttal – This one is easy. It's Cancel. Same price, same effect. Go Metalcraft and it's a Counterspell. Same price, same effect. I just might play this one so I can feel the Counterspell nostalgia. Kansas rating = push. California rating = +1.

Veldaken Certarch – 1/1 for 1 without the craft. With Metalcraft this guy has impact. Imagine if I said you could have a Blinding Mage with no mana cost to activate and only cost 1 to put into play. I think all of us would sign up for that. Now add that you can target lands and artifacts and we have a winner. That's what this Veldaken does once you have Metalcraft. Talk about an upgrade. We just moved our mobile home into Beverly Hills. Kansas rating = push. California rating = + 2.5.

Black

Bleak Coven Vampires – We can find plenty of 4/3's for less than 5 cmc and many of those have extra abilities. In Scars alone we have Necrotic Ooze. 5 mana is way too much to pay for this guy without Metalcraft. With Metalcraft we get a free Soul Feast which weighed in at 5 cmc but was never really played. Kansas Rating = -1.5. California rating = +2.

Red

Blade-Tribe Berserkers – Look it's a Hill Giant. Wait I have Metalcraft. Now it's a hasty Hill Giant plus a Giant Growth. Then back to a Hill Giant next turn. Kansas = push. California = +1.5

Galvanic Blast – Shock reprint in the Midwest. Shock was a good card but it's not a Bolt. With Metalcraft we get some action. We can find 4 damage as cheap as 3 cmc if we're mono red. But not all Mages are fortunate enough to play Flame Javelin at 3. Breath of Darigaaz costs 4 when kicked and Burst Lightning costs 5 and they both deal 4 damage to creature or player. Kansas rating = push. California rating = +3.

Kuldotha Phoenix – We discussed 4/4 flyers back in white. Switch out Serra's Vigilance for Haste and we have this powerhouse. Go Metalcraft and we have creature recursion. Only paying 4 and it going directly into play is unheard of in my memory. How do we rate it in California? Let's just go with a lot better. Kansas rating = push. California rating = +4.

Molten Psyche – Winds of Change used to only cost 1 mana. The Metalcraft damage aspect is to variable to really measure. I did have a combo thought. Imagine an active Pyromancer Ascension and playing this card with Metalcraft. That's 3 damage a card. If you can fill their hand with a Temple Bell type effect then you could be onto something. Kansas rating = -2. California rating = push (at best).

Green

Carapace Forger – It's not very hard to value a bear. Going Metalcraft we get a 4/4 which is reached easily at 4 cmc in green. Kansas = push. California = + 2.

Ezuri's Brigade – We just discussed that a 4/4 for 4 mana was normal in green. Jumping to an 8/8 trampler is quite impressive. Most fatties like that require 8 mana as well. The lone exception is Terra Stomper which only cost 6. Kansas rating = push. California rating = +2 (or maybe +3).

Artifacts

When Metalcraft was spoiled I was most excited by what artifacts (if any) would have the ability. An artifact with Metalcraft does double duty in the fact it counts itself when checking for 3 artifacts in play. So really it gets a Metalcraft for having 2 others with it.

Chrome Steed – Getting a vanilla 2/2 for 4 isn't good in any color. Pumping up to a 4/4 with Metalcraft only makes it break even. Kansas rating = -2. California rating = push.

Etched Champion – 2/2 for 3 is a little weak but not bad. Gaining protection from all colors is a rare ability. Iridescent Angel and Pristine Angel did it for about 2.5 more mana than they would have cost without the protection. Kansas rating = -1. California rating = +1.5

Mox Opal – No Metalcraft this costs nothing and does nothing. With Metalcraft you accelerate by one mana for no costs. Almost like playing an extra land for free. Kansas rating = wasted card. California rating = + 1.

Rusted Relic – Without Metalcraft this is the same as Mox Opal only it costs 4 mana to do nothing. However gaining 2 other artifacts makes this beast a 5/5 for only 4 mana with no drawbacks. Kansas rating = - 4. California rating = +1.

Snapsail Glider – See Etched champion. When the Glider gains two friends it becomes a normal 2/2 flyer which we discussed earlier with Lumigrid Drake. Kansas rating = -1. California rating = push.

The Results

It seems that each color gets different stuff from Metalcraft. Who's the winner? Let's figure the averages.

White – Kansas = -0.2 --- California = +2.1

Blue – Kansas = -0.1 --- California = +1.1

Black – Kansas = -1.5 --- California = +2

Red – Kansas = -0.5 --- California = +2.1

Green – Kansas = push --- California = +2

Artifact – Kansas = -1.6 --- California = +0.7

So as we conclude this class I'm sure you're asking if I would build a Metalcraft deck. I might but not to compete with. I do feel there is a competitive deck out there that has Metalcraft as a subtheme. The problem is in order to dedicate yourself to Metalcraft you need too many cards that don't do much more than add to your artifact count. And as you can see by the averages playing Metalcraft without three artifacts ends up playing weaker cards for extra mana.

I personally would look at playing some type of Red/White control type build. That way you have time to get enough artifacts without having to dedicate to many building slots. Also the best Metalcraft averages are in Red and White along with the best finishers.

Today's class went a little long. Class dismissed.