We’re nearing the final stretch of MTG Avatar: The Last Airbender’s spoiler season, but there still seems to be plenty to reveal. Despite having a bunch of incredible staples show up last week, we’re still getting more powerful cards, like an incredible new combo hatepiece.
For the Commander folk out there, the last of Avatar’s multiple Scene Boxes was revealed today. Showcased by Dexerto, the Black Sun Invasion box is finally available for the world to see. Notably, we did see one card from this Scene Box during the initial spoiler season kickoff, but there are still five more to look at.
While many of the cards in this Scene Box look a bit less exciting than Tea Time, there is one very interesting enchantment that gives Firebending fans a powerful outlet to channel their extra mana into.
Fire Nation Turret
For three mana, Fire Nation Turret offers a new infinite mana outlet that ends the game. Offering an Aetherflux Reservoir-esque win condition, investing 50 red mana allows the turret to push 50 damage. Of course, you can use counter-doubling effects to speed up the process, but this card is intended to be used alongside Firebending.
In addition to offering yet another mana sink that takes opponents out in spectacular fashion, Fire Nation Turret offers a combat buff. +2/+0 and Firebending 2 isn’t the most noteworthy thing in the world, but it can be used to strong effect in some decks. Isshin, Two Heavens as One, for example, doubles your Firebending triggers, allowing you to generate four mana. You can reinvest that into the Turret or use the mana to cast other spells during combat.
Thanks to the MTG Avatar Scene Bundle cards being Eternal Legal, Fire Nation Turret basically has no chance of seeing play outside of casual Commander. Even in that format, decks that will be interested in using this card will be extremely limited.
Earthshape
Earthshape has a much less splashy effect than Fire Nation Turret, but a lot of different decks might be interested in trying it. In smaller go-wide decks, Earthshape is essentially a two-for-one, creating a body and protecting your game plan from board wipes. This is more than enough for the three mana spell to see play in all kinds of token strategies, but it gets a bit more complex from there.
The other type of Commander deck that may want Earthshape is those focusing on Earthbending-esque strategies. Black Panther, Wakandan King is a good example of this, since it naturally places +1/+1 counters onto lands, and can rely on Earthbending to animate them. Notably, Earthbending can stack on top of lands with counters already, which can grant your bigger creatures Indestructible and Hexproof.
While the card does look interesting for certain Commander decks, there are a lot of other cards that are capable of doing similar effects for less mana. This likely means that Earthshape will primarily see play in decks that really care about the Earthbending on the card, or want multiple copies of effects like this.
Sokka’s Charge
Sokka’s Charge will see play in Ally and Changeling Typal Commander decks, but that’s probably where it will stop. Granting your board Double Strike and Lifelink is powerful, but the card can’t really provide value on its own, which makes it a tough sell outside of very specific decks. Add on the Typal restrictions, and Sokka’s Charge’s intent is crystal clear.
The good news is that, in Ally decks, this enchantment basically makes it impossible to race you. Provided you have a decent board, you’ll be gaining enough life to survive opposing crackbacks. Double Strike makes your creatures difficult to block, allowing your board to sweep opposing decks quickly.
Appa, the Vigilant
Appa, the Vigilant appears to be a primary win condition associated with the new snowbally Ally Commander decks. This archetype wants to create wide boards, which can make a single buff from Appa a deadly swing for an opponent. The payoff scales with the number of Allies you play, which can even make smaller boards turn into lethal damage.
Unfortunately, Appa, the Vigilant has similar problems to Sokka’s Charge. While this card is at least a 6/6 body at the worst, that’s an awful rate for seven mana. Only Ally and Changeling decks will get a payoff big enough to warrant running Appa, making it another niche Commander card.
Swampbenders
I don’t know how many Commander decks will even want to realistically run this. Some decks will care about making all their lands Swamps, but putting that on a six-mana beatstick makes it obscenely less accessible than other cards that have the same ability. Stats alone generally aren’t enough to warrant a card seeing Commander play, and the other effects aren’t worth the mana investment. Unless you’re playing a flavor deck, you’ll probably want to leave Swampbenders in your binder.
While many of the cards in this Scene Bundle will likely appeal only to players trying to build the Avatar: The Last Airbender Ally deck, Fire Nation Turrets and Earthshape could create some genuine interest for Black Sun Invasion. Even the previously revealed card, Katara’s Intervention, is interesting but difficult to use optimally.
This is likely the weakest of the Avatar: The Last Airbender Scene Bundles, but these cards get what they lose in playability back in flavor and art. At the end of the day, this will likely be one for the collectors.
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