Welcome to some crazy preview action today on the Daily Dose, where we will be talking about the return of one of Magic’s favourite Planeswalkers, Jace! Don’t worry I’ll have some other previews for you as well. Less than two weeks away until we will all be able to get our hands on some of these sweet cards. Based on all of the awesome flip cards I’ve seen so far, I’m wondering if I’ll have enough checklist cards to play them all! One of the questions we haven’t had answered yet, is whether each pack will have a flip card in it, but if history holds true, this should be happening during this block.
Now let’s talk about Jace. Jace has seen many forms over the years, from Jace, the Mind Sculptor, to Jace, Architect of Thought, to Jace, Memory Adept. This time, Jace really wants to be a detective as he becomes Jace, Unraveler of Secrets.
Let’s break down Jace!
+1: “Scry 1, then draw a card.”
Being able to make Jace get to six loyalty on the turn you play it will make it harder to kill right off the bat. The fact that you get to Scry 1 before you draw your card, will allow you to get greater value for every card that you draw. Having a plus Planeswalker ability that allows you to draw a card and get through your deck quicker makes this pretty powerful. Card number and quality advantage is no joke.
-2: “Return target creature to owner’s hand.”
This will definitely allow you to protect Jace by bouncing your opponent’s creature. Another use is to bounce your own creature if you happen to have a powerful enter the battlefield ability or if you need to attack with a creature, you can than bounce it, and replay it as a defender.
-8: “You get an emblem with “Whenever an opponent casts his or her first spell each turn, counter that spell.”
This emblem was first seen on the card Erayo, Soratami Ascendant as a way to all but finish off your opponent from casting any spells. This seems more like an ultimate that you would work towards, as you are more likely to keep drawing cards with the plus ability of Jace, unless you are in deep trouble and need to start bouncing their creatures. Although a combination of bouncing creatures with this and Reflector Mage could be a good way to win the tempo war.
The next card we will be looking at is another example of how they are expanding the ways to utilizing transform as a mechanic. Here is Westvale Abbey.
I love lands like this, even without the transform ability. Being able to not only get mana, but also being able to utilize this late game to put some 1/1 black and white Human Clerics onto the battlefield. If you are looking to transform this into the awesome Ormendahl, Profane Prince though, you will have to find better ways than pumping out one 1/1 creature every turn.
Look for cards like Collected Company, Pia and Kiran Nalaar and - the best in my opinion - Secure the Wastes as ways to transform this as early as turn six making it hard for your opponent to come back from. They would need an instant exile spell such as Anguished Unmaking just to deal with it. Needless to say most decks won’t be playing that.
The last card we will be looking at today is Traverse the Ulvenwald.
This is a great early and a great late game card. Early on, you will be able to get the basic land needed to help Battle lands come into play untapped, while also putting a Sorcery into your graveyard to work towards Delirium.
If you do have Delirium activated, this card is much better. Not only are you able to search your library for any creature and put it into your hand, you are also able to get any land, not just a basic land. I’m happy to have this spell early and late, as it gives you extra value in the late game of getting just what you need.
Thanks again for reading about Jace’s newest adventures on the Daily Dose today and I’ll have some more preview action coming your way tomorrow. Get out your sharpies everyone, soon it will be time to mark off those checklist cards and bring in those flippers. See you again tomorrow!
