The official release of MTG Avatar is right around the corner, and there’s a lot to look forward to. From the main set to the bonus sheet, this set is chock full of exciting, flavorful designs. There’s even a full-fledged collection of Jumpstart cards with cool applications for Commander and beyond.
While it’s natural for these Jumpstart cards to get overlooked, there are a handful whose power levels stand out. These new goodies deserve recognition, and what better way to do this than by showing off the best of the bunch. Notably, for the sake of diversity, we will only be focusing on mechanically unique cards rather than reprints in our rankings.
Honorable Mention | Tectonic Split
Of all the cards in Avatar Jumpstart, Tectonic Split may have the highest ceiling in EDH. The mana burst you get is simply outrageous, but unfortunately, the cost to cast the enchantment in the first place is huge. The good news, at least, is that there are some ways to work around this issue.
The easiest way to take advantage of Tectonic Split in Commander is just to play it in a deck with lots of ways to recur lands. Legends like Szarel, Genesis Shepherd ensure that you’ll continue to hit your land drops, and if you throw in an Exploration effect, you’ll start bringing back all the lands you sacrificed in a heartbeat. Plus, decks centered around Titania, Protector of Argoth or other legends that reward you for sacrificing lands can turn this card’s additional casting cost into a benefit.
There are even options such as Academy Rector that can cheat this card into play and completely sidestep the card’s problematic cost. As such, even though most archetypes won’t be able to maximize this card, those that can get a huge boost.
5 | Chakra Meditation
Chakra Meditation is the type of card that can take over games assuming you put in the work to abuse it. Obviously, this card is an incredible Lessons payoff, and any Iroh, Grand Lotus deck centered around the card type will want this Chakra Meditation in the 99. Beyond that, though, simply being able to loot off of every instant and sorcery you cast is a very powerful ability.
Not only does looting help you churn through your library and prevent mana flood, but it also works to fuel cards such as Yawgmoth’s Will that can pull you super far ahead or help you win by Storming off. Once you add in this enchantment’s first triggered ability, you’ve got yourself a low-cost engine that’s a fine inclusion in a variety of spellslinger shells.
4 | Fire Nation Occupation
Following the trend of cards that get better when your deck is filled with lots of cheap instants, Fire Nation Occupation is a value generating machine. All it takes is chaining a few cantrips together on your opponent’s end step and you’ll be able to build out a pretty big board of tokens.
Interestingly, this card also synergizes well with creatures that have Flash. As such, it makes for a strong addition to Alela, Cunning Conqueror decks that already encourage you to play with the wealth of Flash Faeries that are out there. This versatility makes Fire Nation Occupation an elite build-around with a very high payoff.
3 | Cabbage Merchant
In a high-powered multiplayer setting, Cabbage Merchant’s first ability threatens to trigger an absurd number of times over the course of a game. If you’re able to keep opposing creatures at bay and this legend alive, you’ll have a bunch of extra mana to work with turn after turn. From there, the more Food and token synergies you have, the stronger Cabbage Merchant becomes.
If you choose to build a deck around the Human Citizen, other payoffs for generating food, like Trail of Crumbs, help you pull far ahead on resources. Where Cabbage Merchant shines brightest, though, is in the 99 of other token-themed shells. Whether all of this Food production is being used as fodder for Samwise Gamgee or as a method of triggering Chatterfang, Squirrel General over and over, this amusing and iconic character is bound to pull its weight.
2 | Monk Gyatso
If unique combo decks are your jam, Monk Gyatso should be right up your alley. With a few different support elements, the Monk legend enables some pretty gnarly ways to create an insurmountable advantage. All you need is to pair a card like Semblance Anvil that reduces the cost of your creature spells by two with a card like Nomads en-Kor that lets you target one of your creatures over and over for free. This makes it trivial to airbend and recast any creature repetitively. Throw in some payoff like Oketra’s Monument or Aetherflux Reservoir, and you’re in great shape.
Outside of its combo potential as a Commander, Gyatso does a great job protecting your other elite threats from removal spells. Once you suit up Gyatso with Lightning Greaves, it becomes pretty difficult to permanently remove any of your creatures without a sweeper. There are other Commanders, including Kellan, the Kid, that reward you for casting spell from exile, making Gyatso a decent inclusion in some 99s.
1 | Katara, Waterbending Master
As far as sheer efficiency is concerned, Katara, Waterbending Master is unmatched. All you need to do is cast a few spells during one of your opponent’s turns, and you’ll start drawing tons of extra cards. The only downside is that you need Katara to keep attacking unscathed, but there are plenty of ways to grant evasion in EDH.
Additionally, utilizing other methods of getting experience counters only makes this legend stronger. Any Ezuri, Claw of Progress deck will welcome Katara with open arms. You can even use Proliferate cards to increase the number of experience counters you have and make Katara more threatening.
It’s also not out of the question that this card sees some Legacy play. In tempo shells with lots of cheap removal, cantrips, and counterspells like Daze to help trigger Katara and protect her, she can easily bury the opponent in card advantage. You don’t see two-drops of this caliber every day, so Katara definitely earns the title of best MTG Avatar Jumpstart card.
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