by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Mardu Ascendancy is a very interesting card from Khans of Tarkir that never really had its day in Standard. While it would pop up occasionally in Mardu Aggro decks with the likes of Bloodsoaked Champion, Butcher of the Horde, and Mardu Shadowspear, this Ascendancy didn't make much of an impact in the competitive metagame.

Its apparent synergy with the Standard powerhouse Goblin Rabblemaster was never realized in Standard. Perhaps being three colors make it difficult for many decks to cast, but three-color decks were common in those days. Honestly, this enchantment is fairly powerful, so why did it never see more play in Standard?

Making a 1/1 Goblin for each non-token creature you control that attacks is pretty strong. Its second effect, giving your team a +0/+3 boost until end of turn by sacrificing the Ascendancy seems pretty good, too. Swing with the team and not worry about losing anyone to blockers? It could be an effective way to survive removal like Bile Blight or Anger of the Gods.

It would seem the primary reason that this Ascendancy didn't see more play in Standard was that it was competing for deck slots with another three-drop from Khans of Tarkir, Hordeling Outburst. The Outburst creates 3 1/1 Goblin tokens straight out for 3 mana. For tempo reasons, the immediate 3-for-1 proved more efficient. Still, Mardu Ascendancy can produce grindy mid-range value. Still, it can be a pretty lousy top-deck in an aggressive deck. Three bodies on demand has its appeal.

The good news for Mardu Ascendancy is that it power has been realized by a few popular Commanders in EDH. This Enchantment has become an all-star in Alesha, Who Smiles at Death decks, and is a key contributor to many Zurgo Helmsmasher and Queen Marchesa decks. Being a three-color card in EDH really limits the number of homes this card can have. But if you're ever playing a deck in these colors that features a whole bunch of little guys, this is definitely worth considering.

War-Name Aspirant is a decent creature with the Raid mechanic. She's a 2/1 Human Warrior for 1R. Her Raid ability is that it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it if you attacked with a creature that turn. A 3/2 for 1R is very good, obviously. Also, it can’t be blocked by creatures with power 1 or less, which is not an irrelevant thing. At the time, Sylvan Caryatid and its 0 power was a very popular creature in Standard. Sorry, Caryatid, I’m hitting for 3.
 
This gal did see some Standard play in some builds of Red Deck Wins, although most of the card's success was seen in Magic Online Daily Events. To be fair, this was a pretty good card at the time and scanning Top 8 deck lists probably doesn't do it justice. She was also an extremely solid creature in Limited.
 
After leaving Standard, War-Name Aspirant mostly sees play in Commander. The Warrior is listed in over 200 EDH decks according to EDHREC. Also, one of the better one-vs-one Commanders, Zurgo Bellstriker, tends to play a copy of War-Name Aspirant. Other Commanders who have recruited the Aspirant include Zurgo Helmsmasher, Lovisa Coldeyes, and Alesha, Who Smiles At Death.  As one of the better creatures with Raid from Khans of Tarkir, it's nice to see that War-Name Aspirant still sees some play.
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Mindswipe is a fascinating permission spell. It costs XUB, where X is the amount of mana your opponent has to pay in order to have the targeted spell not countered. However, Mindswipe also deals X damage to that spell’s controller, whether or not that mana is paid. So not only do you have a permission spell, but you also have a pseudo-Fireball. It’s a counter-spell that can kill someone, even if the permission cost is paid. The greater the X cost that you pay, the better this card gets.
 
There’s an older card from the Dissension set similar to this called Overrule It was XWB to cast, with the same permission effect, except that you gained X life instead of dealing damage. Again, you gained that life whether or not the spell became countered. A counter-spell that can also deal damage whether or not that spell gets countered is a very good card. You don’t usually see permission spells that get more powerful as the game goes along. So, was this card a key to making counter-burn a real deck in Standard again?
 
Unfortunately, as good as Mindswipe is on paper, it never really saw much competitive Standard play. It did work its way into a Top 8 Jeskai Control deck as a four-of. Also, some Jeskai Tempo decks like this one would run a single Mindswipe. But beyond that, it didn't see much top level play. Mindswipe never really made its way into Modern decks, either.
 
Unsurprisingly, though, Mindswipe does see a fair amount of play in Commander decks. It's also unsurprising that the Commander who takes the best advantage of this card is Mizzix of the Izmagnus. This is because Mizzix makes X spells very good, since her experience counter ability makes instants and sorcery spells cost 1 less for each experience counter that you have. It's a very powerful card in that deck.
 
Also, Mindswipe sees some play in Melek, Izzet Paragon spellslinger decks, in which Melek can actually copy Mindswipe and deal double the damage as well as giving you a second chance to counter that spell in case the cost was paid initially. While these aren't the only two commanders that have used Mindswipe, these are the two that will take advantage of this counterspell the most.
 
Is Mindswipe good, then? Yes, Mindswipe is a solid card. But, you have to really dump a lot of mana into it in order to get the full value from it. While it seemed like it would be a decent card in Standard, it wasn't played much. While the damage is a nice bonus, most of the time you may only get in 1, 2, or 3 damage. That's nice, but it didn't really find a home in most decks that would want it.

But in Commander, having Mindswipe as part of your counter-magic suite, where mana is much more plentiful, can allow you to both stop a crucial spell and deal a fair amount of damage. While Mindswipe isn't worth much, it's worth having around for Commander. It may not be ever efficient enough for Modern counter-burn decks, but for what it is, it's a good card to have around.
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Hooded Hydra is a mythic rare from Khans of Tarkir that never saw the competitive play it needed to be the really nice sleeper some players thought it would be. Clever Impersonator was a bigger hit in Commander than the Hydra, but in the right deck, Hooded Hydra is pretty sweet. It seemed like a solid enough pickup at $1.50 with the rotation of Theros block, but it slipped into dollar bin obscurity for those who didn't plan on using him in Commander.

At one time, there was speculation that the Hydra could be pretty good as a big beater in a deck fueled by Whisperwood Elemental and Mastery of the Unseen. Being able to manifest it and flip it for only 2 green mana for a 5/5 seemed like awesome value. It seemed like a good candidate to find a place in the Hardened Scales decks that were a thing in Standard for awhile. Neither scenario emerged, though. By February 2016, Hooded Hydra became a $1 card, an all time low price, around which it stayed for some time, before creeping slowly towards $2.

What makes Hooded Hydra a good buy at $2 or less? We’ve seen how good getting X tokens for X +1/+1 counters can be. Hangarback Walker is a perfect example. While obviously not as splashable as Hangarback Walker, it doesn’t take much of a mana investment for this to be good. Plus, if it enters as a Morph creature, it gets an additional 5 +1/+1 counters when it’s flipped face-up. The Hydra will always at least replace itself.

The good news for Hooded Hydra is that it’s very Commander playable. Since he creates Snake tokens for each +1/+1 counter he has when he dies, he’s become a staple in Kaseto, Orochi Archmage EDH decks. Being a Snake tribal deck, more Snakes are always welcome. Rosheen Meanderer, a Red/Green Commander who loves Hydras in their X casting cost, loves this Hydra too. The Giant’s ability gives 4 colorless mana to pay for any X casting costs. That makes Hooded Hydra at the very least a 4/4. Other commanders that can use Hooded Hydra on a regular basis include Seshiro the Anointed (Snake Tribal), Ulasht, the Hate Seed (Hydra Tribal), and Vorel the Hull Clade (+1/+1 counter mayhem.)

With even foils around $3, Hooded Hydra is a pretty good pickup just based on how playable it is in Commander. While it could be quite a long time before Hooded Hydra ever sees a jump in price, it’s a safe buy if you plan to play him in Commander.

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Abzan is perhaps my favorite clan in Khans of Tarkir, but when it comes to making an Intro Pack for new players to discover this White/Black/Green strategy for themselves, did Wizards succeed? Let's find out.

ABZAN SIEGE DECK LIST

Lands (26)
6 Forest
7 Swamp
8 Plains
1 Scoured Barrens
2 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Jungle Hollow
1 Blossoming Sands

Creatures (23)
1 Mer-ek Nightblade
1 Carnivorous Moss-beast
1 Ivorytusk Fortress
1 Armament Corps
2 Longshot Squad
2 Disowned Ancestor
3 Ainok Bond-kin
1 Sungrace Pegasus
2 Child Of Night
2 Abzan Falconer
2 Tuskguard Captain
1 Abzan Battle Priest
1 High Sentinels Of Arashin
1 Razorfoot Griffin
2 Salt Road Patrol

Other spells (11)
1 Incremental Growth
1 Flesh To Dust
1 Hunt The Weak
1 Dragonscale Boon
1 Abzan Charm
2 Kill Shot
2 Abzan Banner
1 Eternal Thirst
1 Suspension Field

Improving the Deck:

Obviously, the Carnivorous Moss-Beast is the first thing to go. Mer-ek Nightblade and Longshot Squad are outclassed by what the Abzan Falconer and Tuskguard Captains provide at lower mana costs. Flying and Trample are always more relevant than Deathtouch and Reach. Salt Road Patrols should go for more copies of Abzan Battle Priest. You definitely want more copies of High Sentinels of Arashin, too.

I think Outlast, even though it's a bit of a slow mechanic that can only be activated at sorcery speed, can work okay in Limited. It's much harder for it to work well in Constructed, as if you go to activate one of your Outlast abilities, they'll probably kill your creature before it has a chance to do much damage. Unchecked, though, Outlast creatures that give your creatures with +1/+1 counters extra abilities can win you the game, especially as they have a Prophet of Kruphix-lite to assist them.

You would definitely want to run at least a couple of copies of Abzan Ascendancy in the deck, which puts a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control when it enters the battlefield. Plus, when any of your nontoken creatures die, you get a 1/1 flying Spirit token. If there's anyway to make this deck better, it's that.

As far as improving the deck beyond those basic improvements that I previously mentioned, there are a couple ways to go. You can go with the general Abzan theme of the deck and acquire a couple of copies of Anafenza, the Foremost and Siege Rhino to beef up the deck. Obviously acquiring Abzan Ascendancies and a couple more Abzan Charms help your cause, as well. Beyond that, it's finding the mana fixing, with additional copies of the tap-lands and perhaps a few Windswept Heath for more mana base consistency.

If you want to start from complete scratch, and don't want to invest in the mana base, I think you're best off looking to Theros block's Heroic creatures that gain +1/+1 counters from their Heroic triggers. Cards like Lagonna Band Trailblazer, Hero of Iroas, and Fabled Hero coupled with High Sentinels of Arashin and perhaps a couple of Abzan Falconers, you're looking at a pretty solid mono-white deck. Is it top-tier? No, but that's one way you could go for not a ton of money.

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

The Blue/Red/White Intro Pack for Khans of Tarkir is Jeskai Monks. Is it one of the better of the five Intro Packs for the set? Let's take a look at the list and find out.

JESKAI MONKS DECK LIST

Lands (26)
2 Mystic Monastery
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Wind-scarred Crag
8 Island
6 Mountain
7 Plains



Creatures (20)
1 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Jeskai Elder
1 Leaping Master
1 Jeskai Student
2 Seeker Of The Way
2 Jeskai Windscout
2 Bloodfire Expert
1 Bloodfire Mentor
1 Alabaster Kirin
1 Highspire Mantis
1 Whirlwind Adept
1 Tireless Missionaries
1 Serra Angel
1 Sage Of The Inward Eye
1 Warden Of The Eye
1 Riverwheel Aerialists

Other spells (14)
1 Void Snare
1 Oppressive Rays
1 Lightning Strike
2 Jeskai Banner
1 Crippling Chill
1 Divination
1 Solemn Offering
1 Winterflame
1 Jeskai Charm
1 Weave Fate
1 Smite The Monstrous
1 Lava Axe
1 Flying Crane Technique

Improving the Deck:

What this deck is missing is the best offensive creature that Jeskai has: Mantis Rider. Four copies of that is paramount to making this strategy work, a 3/3 with flying, vigilance, and haste is awesome. There are some good creatures here. Monastery Swiftspear is probably the very best card printed with Prowess, and she's become a Standard and Modern staple. You want four copies of her. Seeker of the Way is also solid, gaining Lifelink along with the +1/+1 from his ability, making him at least a 3/3 with Lifelink with only a single Prowess trigger - on a 1W 2/2 that's very good. I'd max out his copies.

Highspire Mantis while a 4-drop that's not the greatest creature in the world is a 3/3 with Flying and Trample. It's okay, and a couple more copies will help the decks cause. Riverwheel Aerialists is too high on the curve to be relevant most of the time in Constructed, Tireless Missionaries is a poor inclusion, and the Jeskai Windscouts are outclassed by Mantis Rider. I'd keep Serra Angel in just because she is a classic card that isn't hurting anyone, at least until you find a more powerful creature to replace her - there aren't many in this set.

Bloodfire Expert, Bloodfire Mentor, and Alabaster Kirin all have their places in Limited, but they're awfully weak for Constructed. They can easily go to make the room that you'll need. Leaping Master does nothing for me and Jeskai Elder would be far better if you just drew a card without the discard attached. Jeskai Student is okay, but you're better off with 4 Monastery Swiftspears than a 1W 1/3, even with Prowess.

The other spells in the deck aren't bad. Obviously you want 4 copies of Lightning Strike, so the 2 Banners (mediocre as they are even in Limited) can go as well as something like Crippling Chill. The Chill is good in Limited but the 3 guaranteed damage is better. I don't like Winterflame much and would prefer more Jeskai Charms instead - it's far superior. Divination and Weave Fate are card draw - the latter being at instant speed, but Jeskai Ascendancy is better at helping you draw while ditching cards you don't need, while also improving upon the Prowess Mechanic. Flying Crane Technique is an awesome bomb I'd leave in just because people may not expect it. Lava Axe is a bit unnecessary if you max out on Jeskai Charms, 4 direct damage for 3 mana is a lot better than 5 for 5 mana.

I'd probably max out the Void Snares for tempo and perhaps acquire a couple of Mindswipes for a permission spell that also burns the opponent. These changes make this more of a traditional UWR deck without losing the aggressive spirit of Jeskai.

If you're really willing to spend on this deck, check out Monastery Mentor and Soulfire Grand Master. The Master makes 1/1 tokens every time you cast a non creature spell and himself has prowess. Soulfire Grand Master gives your instant and sorcery spells lifelink, meaning your burn spells also gain you life. The Grand Master can also help you reuse spells for 4 mana (2 U/R U/R).

Jeskai decks have become quite popular and there have been quite a few winning lists to check out. Namely, there are the more creature based Jeskai Wins and the more token-based Jeskai Tokens. This Intro Pack is a nice way to be introduced to the Jeskai mechanics, even if it's not the best overall value of the five Khans intro packs.

 by  ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

At first, Sultai was among the most disappointing of the Khans of Tarkir clans. However, the clan does have some good cards to show for it, and has proven to be far more competitive than many players thought at first. Many players weren't sure that Delve wasn't a good enough mechanic to build an entire strategy around. Especially after the release of Fate Reforged, Sultai decks (which can actually mean any deck using a combination of black, blue, and green cards) have become extremely competitive.

The question with this particular Intro Pack is how well it will perform with Rakshasa Vizier, the cover card of the deck, as your ace creature. Truthfully, he Vizier can become a huge house, as for every card you exile with Delve, you put that many +1/+1 counters on Rakshasa Vizier. Give the Vizier any sort of evasion and you have a win condition.

So how easy is it to do that in this Intro Pack?

SULTAI SCHEMERS INTRO PACK DECK LIST:

Lands (26)
7 Swamp
8 Forest
6 Island
1 Dismal Backwater
1 Jungle Hollow
2 Opulent Palace
1 Thornwood Falls

Creatures (20)
1 Typhoid Rats
1 Black Cat
1 Walking Corpse
2 Satyr Wayfinder
1 Wall of Mulch
1 Research Assistant
2 Necromancer’s Assistant
1 Gravedigger
1 Rotfeaster Maggot
1 Rakshasa Vizier
1 Sultai Soothsayer
2 Sultai Scavenger
2 Hooting Mandrills
2 Shambling Attendants
1 Necropolis Fiend

Other spells (14)
1 Debilitating Injury
2 Taigam’s Scheming
1 Sultai Banner
1 Rakshasa’s Secret
1 Scout the Borders
1 Sultai Charm
1 Bitter Revelation
1 Murderous Cut
1 Throttle
1 Become Immense
1 Set Adrift
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dead Drop


Let’s take a look at the other rare in the deck, Necropolis Fiend:

I've never really been a fan of this card. Not that the concept of it wasn’t good, but 9 mana for a 4/5 flyer that then relies on the graveyard for its effect is not really that good. It is playable in Limited, perhaps, and I could be underestimating it as a bomb (hence why it begins at 9 mana as a Delve creature). But in Constructed? Not when you have so many other cards drawing from the graveyard – a very Limited resource. Some people have played it in Sultai Control, but I haven't seen it in too many lists.

The creature line-up overall is pretty bad. The Satyr Wayfinders are fine for putting cards in the graveyard. Necromancer’s Assistant assists in putting more cards in there when it enters the battlefield. Hooting Mandrills is one of the Delve creatures well worth being Delved. 5G for a 4/4 with Trample and Delve – that’s plenty solid. Sultai Soothsayer is basically Satyr Wayfinder, except you can choose any card from among the four. Sultai Scavenger is a 3/3 flyer for 5B and Delve – fine for Limited, a bit weak for Constructed.

For the non-creature spells, Taigam’s Scheming is useful card filtering. Scout the Borders is yet another mill card, but you can choose a creature or land from among five cards instead of four. Bitter Relevation gives you two cards from the four, but you also lose 2 life. Murderous Cut is an extremely playable Delve card – unconditional removal for 4B sounds pricey, but it has Delve on it. Become Immense is a really good combat trick for the late game – 5G for +6/+6 with Delve is actually really good. Treasure Cruise in the late game is very strong – drawing you three cards – even if 7U looks ridiculous. There's a reason it was banned in Modern. The other non-creature spells, outside of the Sultai Charm are meh at best.

All of the Charms in Khans of Tarkir are good. Sultai Charm may not be the best of the five, but it’s really strong with all of its three modes being very relevant: destroy target mono-colored creature, destroy target artifact or enchantment, or draw two cards, then discard a card. You want more of these.

Sadly, this Intro Pack doesn't give you much to build on as far as improvements are concerned. The Vizier is nice, but unless you can make him go unblocked (which this deck has no way of doing as constructed) it’s just a big silly beater. Sure you could give it Aqueous Form, but would you include that just for Vizier?

If you want to play Sultai, it's best to seek out some BUG Walkers or Sultai Control deck lists. Both of these lists tend to run the powerful planeswalkers Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and Kiora, the Crashing Waves. You'll also want to invest in a playset of Dig Through Time. But there’s really no way to improve this deck without starting from complete scratch outside of the Charms, Murderous Cuts, and Treasure Cruises. Sidisi Whip, which is built around Sidisi, Brood Tyrant and Whip of Erebos, is a very competitive Sultai deck, as well.

Outside of simply using this deck to test out how much you like the Delve mechanic in practice, I'd personally skip buying this Intro Pack. It doesn't really provide much overall value, and if you want the Vizier that bad, you can probably buy it or trade for it on the cheap. As an introduction to the game, it's okay, but I like to see Intro Packs as toolboxes for building better decks. Sultai Schemers doesn't really do that.

by ElspethFTW, Old School Duelist

Hordeling Outburst is an excellent choice for a Friday Night promotional card, especially considering the amount of Standard play it has been getting. Decks such as RW Aggro and Jeskai Tokens have been using it in four-of's. Jeskai decks, especially, can take full advantage of the fact that it's a non-creature spell with their Prowess mechanic. Mardu (red/white/black) decks have also been known to use this card, although not to the same extent. Three mana for 3 1/1 Goblins is pretty sweet and perfect for aggressive strategies.

Since this is a card that is often seen been played in four copies in many decks, this should be a highly sought after promotional card come March. It was one of my favorite cards when it was spoiled in Khans of Tarkir, and with all the great aggressive creatures released in Fate Reforged, this card has become much more valuable.

by Phoenix A. Desertsong, Staff Writer, Healer & Advocate

While the concept behind Flying Crane Technique is pretty cool, six mana in three different colors is fairly hard to cast. Still, this card has great synergy with Narset, Enlightened Master and the Prowess ability on the other Jeskai clan’s cards.

Prowess gives Jeskai’s creatures additional +1/+1 boosts until the end of the turn whenever you cast a non-creature spell, so then giving them flying and double strike is extremely deadly. Still, it's a lot of mana to play at instant speed. However, it does untap all creatures you control and gives your creatures flying and double strike until end of turn.

A common question that's asked about Flying Crane Technique is if you can cast it even after you declare attacks. You can indeed declare attackers, then cast it, and get the full effect. However, if blockers are declared, any creatures that are declared blocked will still be blocked even if they gain flying. On the other hand, gaining double strike can affect the outcome against those blockers. Do keep in mind, however, that creatures that come into play after you cast this will not gain flying or double strike - only those creatures that you control as you cast it.

Without a doubt this is a finisher. If you happen to attack with Narset, Enlightened Master and exile it using her ability, you even get to cast it at Instant Speed for free. This card can easily end the game on its own, especially if cast for free.

One place this card can definitely be good is in Commander, where Narset decks have run it with some success. Other White/Blue/Red Commanders Ruhan of the Fomori and Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest may find a way to integrate it into some of their builds, as well.

While it hasn't seen any competitive play outside of Limited formats such as draft, Flying Crane Technique is most definitely a bomb that can serve as a useful combat trick that comes out of seemingly nowhere.

As far as value, Flying Crane Technique isn't ever going to have much of a price tag. It's pure "bulk rare" material, meaning you can probably pick up a copy for as little as a dime. Even the foil price of Flying Crane Technique doesn't break a dollar. So, if it's a card you want, it's a cheap one to acquire.

by Phoenix A. Desertsong, Staff Writer, Healer & Advocate

Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker isn't quite the Sarkhan Vol planeswalker Magic the Gathering players expected. Not only is he not three colors as many predicted, but he’s actually mono-red. So is Sarkhan version 3.0 any good?

Sarkhan Vol was pretty good in his day, and very solid in Commander. Sarkhan the Mad has found a home in some Commander decks, as well. He costs 3RR to cast for a Planeswalker that begins with 4 loyalty counters. For that cost, he better do something special!
 
Actually, his +1 ability is very good. Until the end of turn, he becomes a legendary 4/4 red Dragon creature with flying, indestructible, and haste. For 5 mana, that’s not bad at all, especially when you’re actually gaining him loyalty. That’s a very solid ability.
 
The -3 ability is Flame Slash, deal 4 damage to target creature. It is a form of protection. While it’s a bit costly, it will deal with problem creatures that Lightning Strike and many other removal spells currently in Standard cannot. Sometimes, a creature simply has to go.
 
His ultimate ability for -6 is an emblem, and it’s a very different kind of emblem…
 
 “At the beginning of your draw step, draw two additional cards” and “At the beginning of your end step, discard your hand.”
 
At first glance, this emblem doesn’t look very good. However, if you’re running a deck that constantly burns through cards in hand, such as a R/G or Jund (R/G/B) mid-range deck, drawing 3 cards each turn that you’ll likely be able to play that turn isn’t so bad. By the time you even get a chance to use that emblem, it’s in the late-game anyway.

Actually, you may never even need to use that emblem, because by the time you cast Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker and swing with him, you should have the game pretty much in hand anyway. But it’s a nice option to have in the late game so you’re not simply top-decking, a fear that a lot of aggro decks have.
 
Overall, Sarkhan the Dragonspeaker is a pretty solid mid-range Planeswalker. His emblem is rather situational, depending on how bad your draws have been; for example, you can just throw away land you don’t need. Also, if you have fetchlands in your deck, like in Modern, you’ll be going through your deck a bit faster. So, discarding lands is not going to hurt that much.
 
In Commander, being mono-red gives him a many options of decks he can work in, which is great. He does automatically have the ability to “go ultimate” with Doubling Season on board, as well. However, honestly, you’re not going to be using his ultimate all that much in Commander unless you play a deck where you don’t mind constantly discarding your hand. There are decks like that, but not many. You’re mostly going to play him for his first two abilities which is you play most planeswalkers in the first place. There is a laundry list of Commanders that can find a home for him, especially the more aggressive Red/Green and Red/White ones.