With every new Alchemy set, Wizards pushes the boundaries of Magic: The Gathering just a little bit further. Sometimes, this is in the form of unique mechanics that simply wouldn’t work physically. Other times, it’s with wildly powerful cards that would be irresponsible to print in paper. Today, we saw the full Alchemy: Tarkir set revealed, featuring plenty of cards in both categories. Power level-wise, Xho Cai, Flickering Talon is one of the clear standouts among these new MTG cards.
While Jeskai-aligned in terms of flavor, this legendary Bird Monk is more about all-out aggression than careful contemplation. It might be one of the most pushed Aggro designs we’ve ever seen, with potential in a range of digital archetypes. If you play Alchemy formats regularly, expect to dread the sight of this card sooner rather than later.
Xho Cai, Flickering Talon MTG
- Mana Value: RW
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Type: Legendary Creature – Bird Monk
- Stats: 2/3
- Card Text: Flying, Vigilance, Haste.
When Xho Cai enters, the next noncreature spell you cast costs 1 less to cast.
Flurry – Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, exile up to one target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control.
It’s hard to know where to start when breaking down an MTG card as good as Xho Cai, Flickering Talon. Every element here feels overtuned, to one extent or another. For starters, two mana for a 2/3 with three keyword abilities is insane. Forget just passing the vanilla test, this card gets a 100% score. Getting to come down on two and attack in every turn, while still blocking well against Aggro, is very nice indeed.
As if that wasn’t enough, Xho Cai also packs two extremely relevant abilities. When it enters, you get a one mana discount on your next noncreature spell. Not just your next noncreature spell this turn: your next noncreature spell period. This is a style of effect that just doesn’t exist in paper Magic due to tracking issues, but in digital, no such obstacles exist. This means you can’t waste this discount by not casting a spell the same turn, which is a nice advantage.
Xho Cai’s final ability might be the most significant. When you cast your second spell in a turn, you get to flicker one of your creatures for free. As with all Flurry cards, this starts looking a lot better when you consider that you only need one more play after Xho Cai to get the effect right away. The noncreature discount makes this more likely to trigger, too.
Flickering is powerful for all manner of creatures, but the great thing about Xho Cai is that it’s a great flicker target itself. Flickering it will give you another noncreature discount, which can stack with the first one to give you access to some chunky spells. This ability works on opponents’ turns, too, so it can be a great hedge against removal.
A Bird In The Hand
Xho Cai, Flickering Talon certainly doesn’t lack power, which means MTG Arena is its oyster for the most part. I expect this card to be tested in every digital format and to stick around in one or two of them.
Brawl is the most obvious home for the card. Getting access to Xho Cai in the command zone is huge, and can open up a ton of hyper-aggressive early game lines. Whether you’re playing a tempo game with repeated discounts, or burning people out with constant Impact Tremors triggers, there’s a ton to work with here. Heck, it even makes a decent Voltron Commander thanks to its solid stats and starting keywords.
Xho Cai also slots nicely into other popular Brawl decks. Arabella, Abandoned Doll is one of the best decks in the meta right now, according to Aetherhub, and Xho Cai is a slam-dunk addition. Fellow Tarkir newcomer Neriv, Heart of the Storm is a great deck for the card too. Four damage every turn in the air is a big deal in Brawl, after all.
Outside of Brawl, the card has a good shot at seeing play in both Historic and Timeless. The biggest Boros decks in both formats right now are Energy lists, and Xho Cai has a lot to offer that style of deck. Flickering creatures plays incredibly well with Guide of Souls and Amped Raptor, letting you stack up energy and protect your board.
The sheer aggression of the body alone might make the cut here, honestly, but the other abilities are no joke either. Boros didn’t really need any more tools, but boy did it ever get one in Alchemy: Tarkir.