Welcome all to the Daily Dose of Eldritch Moon, where today I’ll be talking about a certain planeswalker that we haven’t seen in a long time. Not since Avacyn Restored have we seen the very popular blue Planeswalker Tamiyo and I, for one, am happy to see her back! Before I get to the card, I want to talk about the ideal cost and power of a Planeswalker and what to expect based on their cost and number of colours they are.
Like most cards, the power level of planeswalkers seems to be higher and higher, the more colors that are in the casting cost. Cards like Ajani Vengeant, Domri Rade, and Xenagos, the Reveler, have all been popular two-colour planeswalkers. Having two-colours doesn’t always make it more powerful than others. Cards like Narset Transcendent and Kiora, Master of the Depths haven’t always hit their mark. Most often though, having multiple colours leads to more powerful planeswalkers. When it comes to three-colour planeswalkers, there has only ever been two of them: Sarkhan Unbroken and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. Nicol Bolas is an expensive, but very powerful planeswalker. Sarkhan Unbroken is very good as well, but has not seen much play in constructed. As seen in most cases, though, the more colours a Planeswalker is, the more powerful it is, but also the harder is to play in multiple decks.
Now, let’s have a look at the casting cost of Planeswalkers. Over time they have ranged from two mana (Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded) to eight mana (Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker). When it comes to the most played and powerful planeswalkers, usually they appear between three and four mana. This includes such cards as Liliana of the Veil, Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Usually five-to-seven mana Planeswalkers are very powerful, but can be harder to cast consistently and most often involves playing a Control style of deck to fit them into your strategies.
So what would be a powerful Planeswalker, in my opinion? Well, one that is multiple colours between three to four mana casting cost. Let me introduce the first Bant Planeswalker, Tamiyo, Field Researcher.
To start off you get a four mana, three-colour Planeswalker that starts with four loyalty, which is quite strong to begin with. Some of the things you look for in a Planeswalker, is the ability to protect itself and card advantage. Let’s check out how Tamiyo, Field Researcher hits those marks!
+1: Choose up to two target creatures. Until your next turn, whenever either of those creatures deals combat damage, you draw a card.
This is one of the most powerful plus one Planeswalker abilities I’ve seen in a while, as it works on an offensive and defensive level and will definitely net you some card advantage. First off, you have the ability to target either your creatures or your opponents. So even if you have no creatures when you cast Tamiyo, you can use it on your opponents two creatures, and each one that deals combat damage nets you a card.
Second is the fact that the creatures don’t need to deal combat damage to a player, it is any combat damage. Whether that is blocking another creature, or when they deal damage to a player or Planeswalker. You can use the ability on your opponents creatures to prevent them from attacking, or use it offensively to make sure you get in both damage and draw cards, no matter if your opponent blocks or not.
-2:Tap up to two target nonland permanents. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
This ability allows you to defend yourself by locking down two of your opponents creatures for more than one turn. You can use this offensively if you have creatures to attack, or defensively if you need to. Another use it for nonland permanents such as artifacts, or Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, so that it won’t be able to attack you.
-7: Draw three cards. You get an emblem with, 'You may cast nonland cards from your hand without paying their mana costs.'
Needless to say, when you draw three cards with this ability there is instant card advantage. The emblem Tamiyo provides will mean that every card you draw you will be able to play for free. This will make it hard for your opponent to know what cards you are possibly able to play, including playing counterspells while tapped out.
Thanks for reading more of the Daily Dose of Eldritch Moon. I’m looking forward to seeing what Liliana will be like and what new abilities she will have. Let me know what you think Liliana will look like!
