Welcome all to the 'Daily Dose of Kaladesh', where this week I’m talking about the new mechanics of Kaladesh. Yesterday, we were introduced to Vehicles, which look like they will see some major play in the near future. Today I’ll be looking at Fabricate which works very well with Vehicles. One of the great aspects of Kaladesh that Wizards wants us to experience is the ever-presence of innovation and technology on Chandra's home-world. They want to use the new mechanics to immerse us in the world of Kaladesh. Another important aspect is the variance created in game by these new mechanics, where the choices you make for each card will not always be the same but will be very game dependant. Mark Rosewater describes this as "high variance of play" in 'Kaladesh Ingredients'. Today’s new mechanic, fits both of those criteria. Let’s take a look at a new card that shows us the new mechanic of Fabricate, here is Glint-Sleeve Artisan.
“Fabricate N – When this creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it or create a 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature token.”
If you are wondering whether to choose a Servo token over a +1/+1 counter, here is the Servo token in all of its glory.
This mechanic is a great mechanic when it comes to making choices in Magic and fits very well into the theme of Kaladesh. Kaladesh is all about invention and technology. Fabricate allows you to either create something (in this case a power sleeve) to give a creature +1/+1 counters or create a Servo token to fight by our side on the battlefield. The choice you make on Fabricate isn’t always known in advance and will be dependant on the game state when it enters the battlefield. Does your opponent have a three toughness creature that you need to kill? Do you see something in play or in your hand that requires you to have Artifacts in play? Do you have a Gideon, Ally of Zendikar Emblem in play? All of these questions and more will help you decide which direction you want to go with Fabricate.
Another great choice you might have when it comes to Fabricate cards, is whether or not you have some Vehicles in play. Often vehicles such as Fleetwheel Cruiser needs only has Crew 2. In that case you would want to create a Servo token so you can Crew the Vehicle with a 2/2 Glint-Sleeve Artisan, but still have a 1/1 Servo token to block if needed.
The next card I’m going to be looking at is one where, Fabricate will force you to really choose whether you want the +1/+1 counters or Servo tokens based on the current state of the board. Here is Cultivator of Blades.
Cultivator of Blades is a card that screams out, “What should I choose?” The decision with Fabricate gets even harder with this card because of it’s great ability when attacking and the fact that it is Fabricate 2 instead of Fabricate 1. Let’s view the advantages of when you should be choosing +1/+1 counters or Servo tokens.
0 other creatures currently on the battlefield
Choosing +1/+1 counters gets you 3 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
Choosing Servo Tokens gets you 5 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
1 other creatures currently on the battlefield
Choosing +1/+1 counters gets you 6 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
Choosing Servo tokens gets you 5 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
2 other creatures currently on the battlefield
Choosing +1/+1 counters gets you 9 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
Choosing Servo tokens gets you 5 additional power on the battlefield when attacking.
As you can see, the more existing creatures you have on the battlefield, the better it is to choose the +1/+1 counters for Cultivator of Blades. But wait, that’s not the definitive choice in which way to choose. You also have to think about if you have a way to increase the power of Cultivator of Blades with a pump spell or equipment. If that is the case, maybe choosing Servo tokens is the best choice. Let’s say you have a spell or permanent that requires you to have so many Artifacts in play. As you can see, there are many reasons to choose either side of the fence with Fabricate, and each game will have to be played out to see which will be to your advantage.
So as you can see the new Fabricate mechanic has been well designed for games to have a high variance of play. Thanks for joining me on the 'Daily Dose of Kaladesh,. Tomorrow I’ll be talking about another great new mechanic, or one could say resource from Kaladesh.
See you tomorrow!
