Like many recent sets, MTG Spider Man comes equipped with a fully fleshed-out bonus sheet. These 40 reprints feature some major powerhouses from across Magic’s history.
While players won’t be able to play with the Marvel versions of each reprint on MTG Arena, all 40 cards appear on the Through the Omenpaths bonus sheet. Many of these tools are new to Arena and thus could make a big splash in Historic, Timeless, or Brawl. From a cantrip that’s banned in Modern to an EDH Game Changer that makes tutors look silly, these additions are not messing around.
Historic Playmakers
Ponder has been banned in Modern for many years, yet now it’s coming to Historic on MTG Arena. With Brainstorm having eaten a ban a while back, Ponder is likely the strongest one-mana cantrip the format now has to offer.
Cards like Ponder tend to play out better than they look. The card selection is elite, and you even have the option to shuffle your library if you don’t like what you see. This means that whether you’re digging for a land or an impactful spell, you’re in good shape to find what you’re looking for.
In the context of Historic, it has synergies with a lot of format staples. Wizards is a top-tier archetype, and having a cantrip of this caliber to recast with Dreadhorde Arcanist is great. It’s a solid card to Flashback with Snapcaster Mage, too.
The only thing potentially holding this card back is the lack of Fetchlands. Without a way to shuffle, Ponder does get less enticing. If you look at one card you really want with Ponder and two cards you don’t want, you have a tough choice to make about whether to keep the cards on top.
Even still, there are other cards like Lorien Revealed that can mitigate this downside. It’s also worth noting that Fetchlands are legal in Timeless alongside Brainstorm, and Ponder has Timeless potential. Show and Tell decks are extremely popular and could easily grow further with the arrival of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn in Arena Anthology 3. It wouldn’t be surprising to see that deck add Ponder into the mix to help you find your combo pieces more reliably.
The other two cards worth mentioning as possible upgrades in Historic are Terminate and Mystic Confluence. Rakdos midrange isn’t as popular as it used to be when Crucias, Titan of the Waves was introduced. Nonetheless, any Rakdos or Grixis shell looking for removal to pair with Fatal Push should be happy with Terminate’s inclusion. It just hits more targets than other two-mana options like Go for the Throat or Heartless Act.
Meanwhile, Mystic Confluence seems like a strong option for control decks in small numbers. Its versatility makes it strong in nearly every scenario once you get to five mana. Plus, Mystic Confluence should make for a great inclusion in blue Brawl decks.
Timeless Game Breakers
Opposition Agent is a brutal creature to play against if you rely on any kind of tutoring. This means this card is bound to see some Timeless play, since plenty of the format’s decks rely on tutoring.
First and foremost, Opposition Agent messes with any Fetchlands. Considering that Opposition Agent can come down turn one thanks to the likes of Dark Ritual or Ancient Tomb and Chrome Mox, this card may leave players’ mana screwed more than you might expect.
Second, with the recent addition of Strip Mine to the format, you’ll likely run into a lot of players looking to abuse cards like Sowing Mycospawn, which Opposition interacts favorably with. Crop Rotation, appearing in Arena Anthology 3, only makes this more probable.
Third, there are some decks like Dimir Beseech that rely on Beseech the Mirror and Demonic Tutor to set up combo kills. Opposition Agent can singlhandedly win you games against these decks in some spots. For these reasons, Opposition Agent should at least be a sideboard consideration for Dark Ritual decks.
Brawl Disruptive Tools
Finally, the Through the Omenpaths bonus sheet also brings some neat Commander cards that could easily make a smooth transition into Brawl. There are multiple strong Fog effects that pack an extra punch. Both Comeuppance and Arachnogenesis fit the bill.
Comeuppance has the upside of functioning like an instant speed one-sided board wipe, which is incredible. Arachnogenesis instead adds extra blockers to the board and gives you a chance to block down your opponent’s attackers. Against go-wide decks, Arachnogenesis is an all-star.
If you’re looking to play reactively, Comeuppance is a strong choice. Arachnogenesis has the bonus of synergizing with other Spider payoffs, such as Cosmic Spider-Man. There’s a lot to look forward to with the release of MTG Spider Man and the Through the Omenpaths bonus sheet, and we look forward to seeing how all of these cards play out on Arena.
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