Magic the Gathering (MTG) Casual Hits - Darksteel Juggernaut Review

by RGFoxx, Gaming Successfully Contributor

It’s become sort of a hobby of mine to figure out what rares from each set will ultimately become hits with the casual crowd. One I’ve had my eye on recently is Darksteel Juggernaut from Scars of Mirrodin. This is a card that’s been around for several years, and over time, it’s never really stopped selling. What makes Darksteel Juggernaut a once bulk rare card that broke the $1 mark in January 2015 and has never stopped rising? Let’s take a look.

Darksteel Juggernaut is an indestructible creature for 5 mana. Right away, people see indestructible and think to themselves - this is my finisher! Also, his power and toughness scale with how many artifacts you control - itself included. Indeed, in Scars of Mirrodin drafts, this was an absolute bomb with how many artifacts there were available in the sets from that block: Scars, Mirrodin Besieged, and New Phyrexia. The only drawback is that the Juggernaut has to attack every turn - a flavor nod to the original Juggernaut from the first sets of Magic. Being indestructible, this rarely even is a drawback.

Basically, if you play artifact decks and you’re not going to tournaments, this is fine for a mid-range threat. Also, like many cards that rely on artifacts, the Juggernaut can only get better over time. Sure, he’s not Darksteel Colossus, but he’s a lot more easily accessible and you can still find them in the dollar bins at local game stores. Heck, people might even consider these to be bulk rares. They’re not. They usually buylist for at least $0.25, if not $0.50. (I’ve seen Troll and Toad offer $0.65 a copy!)

Whenever you’re trying to figure out what rares from a set are good investments for your collection, this is the sort of card to look for. Any card that can see play in multiple types of decks with regularity is obviously good to hold onto. You see how reprintable the card is. Darksteel Juggernaut isn’t super exciting like Darksteel Forge was when it was reprinted. But he gets the job done if you’re looking for a quick upgrade to your casual artifact deck. Being indestructible and a creature that only gets better as the game progresses makes him rather useful. Heck, he works okay in Commander, too, if you’re on a budget. Definitely a card to not forget about, especially in foil.

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