Ali From Cairo - Arabian Nights Card Review - Old School MTG

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

Ali from Cairo has a pretty silly ability. It's obvious why this card has stayed on Magic the Gathering's Reserve List - one of the cards that Wizards of the Coast has promised to never reprint. Basically, you can never lose the game as long as Ali is on the board (unless you lose by poison counters, of course.) Any damage that would reduce your life to 0 will still leave you with 1 life.

One important note: Any loss of life you would take outside of damage, such as the effect of the Extort mechanic, would still reduce your life to 0. So, it's still possible to lose with Ali on the board; it's just considerably more difficult.

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As this card is not banned in Vintage or Legacy, it's still very possible to build a deck around Ali from Cairo. Getting your hands on a play-set is certainly a pricey proposition, though, at over $200 a piece. Will an Ali from Cairo deck be as good as it once was? As a creature with no power and only 1 toughness, it's going to be tough keeping him in play. But, he's still fun to play, and he's a valuable card for your collection.

If you've ever played with Ali from Cairo, either back in the early 90's or more recently in the Old School Magic format, I'd love to hear about it!

Updated 2/5/2020