Here's a fun project for this weekend's upcoming Wilds of Eldraine release:

Look up five cards. We'll go with five on account of our nickname maybe; and even though the set is nominally brand new... So brand new, in fact, that it hasn't even been released yet... Think of some cards that bring a tear to your eye, make you wax nostalgic, or remind you of a moment of wildly successful past inspiration.

Got that?

NP. I'll go first.

Welcome to Relevance: Prophetic Prism

Before I read the whole Wilds of Eldraine spoiler I knew I wanted to talk about Prophetic Prism. In fact, I talked about Prophetic Prism just a couple of weeks ago, in the context of a present, performing, Standard deck.

But I guess the nice people in Renton, WA also realized how good the card was going to be with the Bargain mechanic and made sure that no one would miss it - really could miss it - and added Prophetic Prism to Wilds of Eldraine itself.

Why is this card so good right now?

Bargain is an ability that allows you to sacrifice an artifact (among other potential things) to get a little more oomph out of certain spells. Prophetic Prism is an artifact that, by definition, replaces itself... So instead of giving up a card to get slightly more value out of a future card (which might, in fact, add up to a card's worth of value, who knows) you just give up the two-mana initial investment. In this card's case, Prophetic Prism helps draw you forward (the "Prophetic" part, flavor-wise), and in some cases can help you with a difficult number of colored pips in the top-right.

Case in point:

Card #1 Beseech the Mirror

Reminds me of: Diabolic Tutor

The Classic Deck: Mono-Black Control, Northeast Regionals 2003

Mono-Black Control | Michael Flores, 2003 Northeast Regionals

• Creatures (6)
• 2 Visara the Dreadful
• 4 Undead Gladiator

• Instants (6)
• 2 Skeletal Scrying
• 4 Smother

• Sorceries (22)
• 1 Chainer's Edict
• 1 Haunting Echoes
• 1 Mind Sludge
• 3 Innocent Blood
• 4 Corrupt
• 4 Diabolic Tutor
• 4 Duress
• 4 Mutilate

• Lands (26)
• 24 Swamp
• 2 Cabal Coffers

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Mind Sludge
• 2 Cabal Therapy
• 1 Haunting Echoes
• 2 Chainer's Edict
• 1 Visara the Dreadful
• 1 Engineered Plague
• 2 Laquatus's Champion
• 4 Nantuko Shade
• 1 Skeletal Scrying

Buy This Deck Export text format

Kai Budde (credited as "some German" in my tournament report) built the original shell of this deck. It was the best deck in Standard, main deck. The problem was that the card Compost was legal at the time, so people didn't think you could play Mono-Black, no matter how good it was before a Green deck could reach for its sideboard.

Your baseline strategy was to kill all their guys - often one-for-one with cards like Chainer's Edict or Innocent Blood - so Compost made it so the opponent would never run out of cards.

This deck remains one of my favorites twenty years later because I figured out how to beat Compost. In fact, I beat multiple Composts in play at the same time multiple times at Regionals. The secret was just letting them draw extra cards. Who cares! Make it about their life total.

We broke the Compost paradigm by siding in 6-drop Laquatus's Champion! This was a card that put creature decks on a super fast clock, protected our own life total, and could block any sized Savage Bastard... No matter how many cards in hand they had to make their Mongrel grow.

Bringing it back to Beseech the Mirror, the 2003 deck was held together by four copies of Diabolic Tutor; that card let us play a gigantic game despite committing only two total deck slots to Mind Sludge and Haunting Echoes.

Outside of the additional (over what was "originally" a colorless mana) Beseech the Mirror is a functional Diabolic Tutor... But for the Bargain bonus. This is a great example of Prophetic Prism doing work. In a non-Mono-Black deck, you might have problems getting to (especially on turn four) so Prophetic Prism can help you convert some other color of mana to Black so you can Beseech the Mirror on time.

The Difference Makes More Than a Difference: Lord Skitter, Sewer King

Reminds me of: Verdant Force

Quick question: What's the best fatty ever printed?

Brian Kibler declared Baneslayer Angel the best "large creature" of all time upon winning his first Pro Tour with it. Not long after, the Titans were printed and if Kibler were ever right with his Baneslayer call... He wasn't for much longer.

But anyway we were looking for "Verdant Force."

What? You didn't have Verdant Force on your best fatty bingo card? Well, it carried literally the tagline "best fatty ever printed" thanks to the deck Secret Force and notable Tournament Reports writer Jamie Wakefield; the architect of that archetype.

Now no one would expect you to actually cast a Verdant Force. It cost eight mana! Even Jamie would get it out on the cheap with Natural Order. At four mana, Natural Order gave a four-mana discount on a 7/7 Saproling machine.

The comparison between Jamie's 7/7 and Eldraine's new 3/3 are kind of superficial, aren't they? I mean, one of Wakefield's signatures was just chump blocking with a Saproling every turn and Lord Skitter's minions won't let you do that.

But he costs less than the difference between Natural Order and Verdant Force... Less than Natural Order itself! Surely that discounting must mean something!

Okay, okay. When Lord Skitter gives me the good feelings... It might not 100% be for an old teammate's 7/7 for eight. I mean we are talking about a 3/3 for three.

Lord Skitter, Sewer King

Reminds me of: Verdant Force Gnarled Mass

Critical Mass | Michael Flores, 1st Place PTQ 2005

• Creatures (17)
• 1 Isao, Enlightened Bushi
• 4 Keiga, the Tide Star
• 4 Kodama of the North Tree
• 4 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
• 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder

• Instants (8)
• 4 Hinder
• 4 Hisoka's Defiance

• Sorceries (4)
• 4 Kodama's Reach

• Artifacts (8)
• 4 Sensei's Divining Top
• 4 Umezawa's Jitte

• Lands (23)
• 7 Island
• 9 Forest
• 4 Tendo Ice Bridge
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
• 1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Threads of Disloyalty
• 1 Minamo's Meddling
• 2 Gnarled Mass
• 2 Wear Away
• 2 Consuming Vortex
• 4 Jushi Apprentice

Buy This Deck Export text format

One of my best intuitive leaps ever; Gnarled Mass bought me a Blue Envelope in one try, and Gerard Fabiano a Top 8 at Grand Prix Mexico City a week later.

Basically, I figured out that the format was all about 2/2 creatures. White Weenie alone played a 2/2 for one in Isamaru, Hound of Konda; any number of 2/2 creatures for two mana; Kitsune Blademaster at three; and Hokori, Dust-Drinker at four. It was just 2/2 guys everywhere.

Like, what were they going to do about a 3/3?

In 2023: What are they going to do about a 3/3 that doesn't even have to wait until next upkeep to start on its token-making mission?

The Unlock: The Irencrag

Reminds me of: Izzet Signet

The Classic Deck: IzzeTron

IzzeTron | Osyp Lebedowicz, Pro Tour Honolulu 2006

• Creatures (8)
• 4 Keiga, the Tide Star
• 4 Meloku the Clouded Mirror

• Instants (14)
• 2 Telling Time
• 4 Electrolyze
• 4 Mana Leak
• 4 Remand

• Sorceries (9)
• 1 Blaze
• 1 Invoke the Firemind
• 1 Tidings
• 2 Pyroclasm
• 4 Compulsive Research

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Confiscate

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Izzet Signet

• Lands (23)
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 2 Tendo Ice Bridge
• 4 Shivan Reef
• 4 Steam Vents
• 4 Urza's Mine
• 4 Urza's Power Plant
• 4 Urza's Tower

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Pyroclasm
• 4 Annex
• 4 Giant Solifuge
• 2 Repeal
• 1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
• 2 Smash

Buy This Deck Export text format

I had worked mostly independently on the sole undefeated deck from Honolulu's Day One, mostly collaborating with players like Josh Ravitz and of course Top 8 competitor Osyp Lebedowicz via email only.

So, I never got to see someone else play the creation until I was actually at the Pro Tour.

I was super puzzled why, in my first time birding another pilot, Osyp didn't tap out for Izzet Signet on turn two. He was leaving up Remand / Mana Leak mana; and could play his Signet on turn three... Leaving up Remand / Mana Leak again that turn.

Wow.

Light bulb.

Changed my life!

I had helped to build one of the best decks of the Pro Tour but had never stumbled upon one of its most primal play patterns until I had physically gotten there.

What else is The Irencrag going to remind me of than my favorite Signet from one of my most successful efforts? A two-mana mana rock? Of course everyone is excited about this one!

While I'd say "me included" in the abstract; I'm also going to build initially with only one copy of The Irencrag... I'm thinking about it much more like The Celestus than a conventional Mind Stone / Fellwar Stone / Izzet Signet. the fact that it's Legendary makes drawing multiple copies kind of annoying. Ergo I'm guessing The Irencrag is much more in the camp of a little extra positive variance than that of consistent Ramp.

Almost Every Thing to Almost Every One: Virtue of Persistence

Reminds me of: Last Gasp AND Debtors' Knell

Virtue of Persistence is kinda sorta two different spells, so I think it's just appropriate that it reminds me of two different classics.

First: Last Gasp

Last Gasp is the instant version of Lochthwain Scorn... But a version that doesn't also gain life. This card - this side of the card at least - seems bonkers to me. In the past, the Knockout Blows of the world at least had the decency to come out of the sideboard. The ability to cast Lochthwain Scorn early but essentially stow a future high impact card away in a fourth dimensional extra hand screams "play me main deck" for this card.

Back in the era of the original Ravnica, Last Gasp was a pretty good creature removal card. Here is my all-time favorite Last Gasp deck:

Korlash.dec | Patrick Chapin

• Creatures (13)
• 1 Detritivore
• 1 Twisted Abomination
• 3 Dimir House Guard
• 4 Aeon Chronicler
• 4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade

• Instants (3)
• 3 Tendrils of Corruption

• Sorceries (10)
• 1 Foresee
• 1 Persecute
• 4 Compulsive Research
• 4 Damnation

• Artifacts (6)
• 2 Prismatic Lens
• 4 Dimir Signet

• Lands (24)
• 1 Island
• 9 Swamp
• 1 Urza's Factory
• 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 3 Graven Cairns
• 4 Blood Crypt
• 4 Watery Grave

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Detritivore
• 4 Extirpate
• 1 Tendrils of Corruption
• 1 Leyline of the Void
• 4 Last Gasp
• 1 Nightmare Void
• 1 Persecute
• 2 Volcanic Hammer

Buy This Deck Export text format

Korlash propelled my friend Patrick Chapin to first place at his Regional Championship. Despite tons of board control elements, Patrick's weak matchup was Gruul aggro. He couldn't live long enough to catch them on a Tendrils!

What Patrick needed was just more Last Gasp.

Luckily, he was friends with a very stable genius who suggested Volcanic Hammer. No Volcanic Hammer was not an instant. No, I didn't miss that three damage is a little worse on average than -3/-3. But it was good enough! And - at least for purposes of killing creatures - Lochthwain Scorn is better. I just hope three is actually good enough in 2023!

The other half of this card reminds me of Debtors' Knell.

I played a lot of Debtors' Knell back in the day, even if it was only one copy in my seventy-five. Here is an example in what I thought was the best deck I had ever designed at the time:

Aggro Ideal | Michael Flores

• Creatures (11)
• 3 Yosei, the Morning Star
• 4 Loxodon Hierarch
• 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder

• Instants (3)
• 3 Gifts Ungiven

• Sorceries (12)
• 1 Life from the Loam
• 3 Enduring Ideal
• 4 Kodama's Reach
• 4 Wrath of God

• Enchantments (7)
• 1 Confiscate
• 1 Debtors' Knell
• 1 Form of the Dragon
• 1 Zur's Weirding
• 3 Faith's Fetters

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Sensei's Divining Top

• Lands (23)
• 2 Island
• 3 Plains
• 4 Forest
• 1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
• 1 Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
• 2 Ghost Quarter
• 2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
• 3 Brushland
• 4 Temple Garden

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Ghost Quarter
• 4 Simic Sky Swallower
• 4 Condemn
• 1 Debtors' Knell
• 1 Faith's Fetters
• 2 Life from the Loam
• 1 Confiscate

Buy This Deck Export text format

This deck could shift from Selesnya Midrange to over-the-top combo... Kind of if it had to. Plan A was to win with Loxodon Hierarch and Morning Star beatdown; but once you had decided you wanted to shift into Enduring Ideal mode, Yosei could get a little more interesting.

You could sacrifice Yosei to Miren every turn and then bring him back the next upkeep. Together these three cards were very close to a complete lock (and you got to gain some life, to boot).

You can't quite assemble a Yosei-lock in Standard, but there are nevertheless some cool mini combos you can assemble with Virtue of Persistence:

Seriously? Who beats machine gun Junji?

If you want to grind out creatures you can sub in Sheoldred or even some versions of Gumdrop Poisoner.

Keiga 2023: Horned Loch-Whale

Reminds me of: Boomerang; Keiga, the Tide Star

Flores Blue | Michael Flores

• Creatures (10)
• 3 Keiga, the Tide Star
• 3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
• 4 Jushi Apprentice / Tomoya the Revealer

• Instants (21)
• 2 Rewind
• 3 Disrupting Shoal
• 4 Boomerang
• 4 Hinder
• 4 Mana Leak
• 4 Remand

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Threads of Disloyalty

• Lands (25)
• 10 Island
• 2 Dimir Aqueduct
• 4 Quicksand
• 4 Watery Grave
• 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1 Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
• 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Cranial Extraction
• 2 Dimir Aqueduct
• 4 Drift of Phantasms
• 4 Execute
• 2 Rewind

Buy This Deck Export text format

This card is a riot.

It's wonderful.

In this case it's both the Boomerang and the finisher from my 2005 deck that took both first and second place at States that year.

But perhaps more importantly: Horned Loch-Whale has Flash.

Since you dont' have to use your mana main phase (in fact you can defend yourself with the Adventure side of this card), Horned Loch-Whale's simple existence might enable a true Counterspell deck to be reestablished in Standard.

LOVE

MIKE