Two spoilers dropped that I really want to discuss. Let’s get straight to it.

Clan Standard

Dire Wolf Digital has been generous with cards that diversify the functionality of power. In the Empty Throne, we got the Monument cycle. The Monuments weren’t necessarily the most powerful cards, and they were mostly played in Draft, with only Amber Monument enjoying an extended run at Constructed play.

In The Dusk Road, we got the Waystone cycle. While the Waystones provide smaller payoffs than the Monument cycle, they come at very little cost to the player – hence, a lot of them are currently seeing play in Constructed decks. The Dusk Road also gave us Crests, which were multifaction power with additional Scout functionality.

Having our power do more things for us is a very good design space for DWD to tap into. For one, its a large justification for even having a power-as-cards-in-deck system to begin with – in exchange for the occasional flood/screw game, we get to toy around with a whole set of cards that do lots of cool things, typically for free, that other digital CCGs prefer to eschew.

And now, in the Fall of Argenport, we get the Standards. And we finally find out what Clan Tactic is.

My first impression of this card? It’s pretty good. Obviously, Clan Standard acts as power early when you need it. Late, the card transmutes into an improved Lightning Strike – a more-than-serviceable removal spell in most circumstances.

I am confident this card will see extensive play in the new Set 4 Draft format, given its flexibility and power level. 5 damage is really nothing to scoff at, since it can take down almost any midrange beater in draft. Most fliers will die to it as well, which is always a good thing. A solid 3/5.

With Constructed, I am less optimistic.

First of all, Clan Tactic is likely only going to be relevant against 4-drops or below. Most 5-drops and above have more than 5 health, or Aegis. Most Time beaters, like Worldbearer Behemoth and Sandstorm Titan, dodge this. Of course, Clan Tactic has the additional benefit of demolishing scary relic weapons like Starsteel Daisho, which could very well make it good enough to see play as a 1-of in unitless control decks.

Just to be clear, removal doesn’t have to be unconditional to be good – Annihilate, Lightning Strike, and Vanquish show us this. However, the fact that Clan Tactic only comes active after 5 power means that a card that’s most relevant against 4 drops or lower only comes alive on turn 5. That’s slightly awkward.

Furthermore, decks that want to get beyond 5 power (ie. most control decks) will find the Transmute slightly awkward to play with as well. Getting to Temporal Distortion or Channel the Tempest is usually more important than having an additional conditional removal spell.

In all likelihood, Clan Standard is only going to see play in control if Midrange decks that don’t rely on large Time beaters, like TJP Midrange, are the at the top of the metagame. The prevalence of that style of deck would make the Clan Tactic very relevant even in later turns. If that is the case, it will likely be a 1 or 2-of in xontrol lists.

It is more likely that Clan Standard will find a home in larger Midrange decks. Decks that plan to attrition their opponents with Nostrix and Eilyn, Clan Mother could use Clan Standard as yet another tool in the attrition game. If a Hooru Midrange list does pan out, I anticipate that list to be running Clan Standard as a 2-of.

Looking beyond just this card, Clan Standard seems to imply that Tactics are all going to be spells. I’m very curious to see if the Fire Tactic is going to be some kind of burn spell- that might give aggro decks some much-needed love moving forward.

I love Clan Standard – but its viability in Constructed is going to depend on the metagame. We can only wait and see.

Long Live the Queen

Is this the counterspell we’ve always wanted?

In abstract, Long Live the Queen is clearly quite strong. If it actually gets to counter a spell, it’s a two-for-one. Having Warp doesn’t hurt either.

The problem is its cost. 4 power is a lot of power to hold up in this game. Decks that plan to play units and kill people with them (read: all aggro and midrange decks ) typically can’t hold up that amount, since it prevents them the mana from playing another threat. The only style of deck that would realistically play this card is control.

But do Control decks even want this? There aren’t that many spells that are worth countering in the current Eternal metagame. All the ones that are cost 4 or more, like Channel the Tempest – and we already have a card for that situation.

Eilyn’s Choice can counter game-changing spells like Channel the Tempest, and that also doubles up as a removal for dangerous units. That flexibility has allowed Eilyn’s choice to see play for quite a while across different metagames and various control lists.

Will Long Live the Queen supplant Eilyn’s Choice? I think it’s fairly easy to say no. In the unit-dominated game that is Eternal, the flexibility provided by Eilyn’s Choice should always be more valuable than the sheer card advantage Long Live the Queen provides.

However, can Long Live the Queen see play alongside Eilyn’s Choice? I do not think it is unlikely, assuming we see an extremely control-oriented metagame. If a large number of games are going to be long control mirrors, Long Live the Queen is far more flexible than Eilyn’s Choice. It is another card that can prevent a Channel the Tempest, can protect your own Channel from an Eilyn’s or an Unseal, and also denying opposing Wisdom of the Elders while netting you a card in the early turns. I woudn’t be surprised to see control decks packing 2 or 3 copies of these in the sideboards in tournaments specifically for these reasons.

It is worth noting that the Warp on Long Live the Queen makes Second Sight a lot better in these control decks. Second Sight has never seen much love in control lists, and especially not since its bigger and better brother Strategize came out. If The Fall of Argenport gives us more Hooru spells with Warp, Second Sight might be a card worth keeping in mind when deckbuilding.

That’s it for today, thanks for reading!