MTG Avatar cards haven’t been tournament legal for very long, but we’re already seeing tons of new cards show up in Constructed. While it’s not too shocking that sweet brews are continuously popping up in Standard, it is a bit surprising just how impactful the cards are in other formats right out of the gate.
A handful of well-established, top-tier Modern archetypes have adopted Avatar threats into the mix. Additionally, some specific build-arounds have even opened the door for entirely new strategies to emerge. This is a breath of fresh air following the rather weak MTG Spider Man set, and things are just starting to heat up.
Aang, at the Crossroads
While some of the creatures that are making a splash in older formats received a ton of hype during spoiler season, including Badgermole Cub, others, like Aang, at the Crossroads quietly fell under the radar. The bar for a five-mana card to see play in Modern is extremely high, but in Four-Color Birthing Ritual shells, Aang has a lot going in its favor.
First and foremost, with playsets of both Omnath, Locus of Creation and Magmatic Hellkite in the list, you have a good chance of hitting an elite threat off Aang’s first triggered ability. Plus, given the deck’s high density of four-drops, it’s the perfect size to cheat into play with Birthing Ritual. Once in play, sacrificing any other creature to Ritual lets you transform Aang into a monster that provides inevitability. In the event you don’t draw Ritual, even Evoking Solitude or Subtlety will trigger Aang’s final ability.
The only thing potentially holding this legend back from seeing consistent play in Modern Ritual shells is the competition in the five-mana slot. After all, Quantum Riddler is a menace that also synergizes perfectly with Ritual thanks to its Warp ability, and trimming copies comes at a cost. Regardless, Aang gives you a lot of bang for your buck, and we’re excited to see what it can do long-term.
Phoenix, Fleet Airship
Speaking of cards that singlehandedly pull you ahead, Phoenix Fleet Airship is a win condition like no other. Obviously, playing a four-mana vehicle with no enters ability is a dubious proposition in a format as fast as Modern. That being said, in a deck designed to fully support it, it will eventually end the game in your favor.
Thanks to the creative mind of MTG content creator Aspiringspike, we got our first glimpse at what a successful Airship build could look like. This list, which boasted a Magic Online Modern League 5-0, incorporates a healthy mix of sacrifice fodder as well as Phyrexian Tower to both power out Airship a turn early and enable its trigger. Notably, even sacrificing Fetchlands will do the trick, so making copies of the vehicle is trivial.
With four copies of Beseech the Mirror in the list, finding Airship is easy. A few turns later, you’ll have enough Airships in play to attack for lethal all at once. Of course, even before you get to eight copies, your token producers like Orcish Bowmasters give you a chance to Crew your vehicles naturally in the interim. Throw in cards like Thoughtseize and Flare of Malice to disrupt the opponent and keep your head above water, and you’ve got a game plan!
Sokka, Bold Boomeranger
Since the printing of Cori-Steel Cutter, Izzet Artifacts decks have put up a ton of strong results. Now, it seems the deck may have gotten even better with the release of Sokka, Bold Boomeranger. Izzet Artifacts is already incentivized to play a high density of free spells to help maximize Cutter, so you’ll have plenty of games where you can cast Sokka and immediately grow the Ally with copies of Mishra’s Bauble and Mox Opal.
As a cheap legend, Sokka is a natural fit alongside Mox Amber as well. Getting to rummage away excess copies of your legendary artifacts and creatures when Sokka enters is a huge luxury. Even if this creature isn’t overwhelmingly powerful, all of these small details add up to make a pretty strong and efficient inclusion.
Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
Right from the minute it was spoiled, Wan Shi Tong, Librarian garnered a ton of attention. In a format like Modern, where players are constantly cracking Fetchlands, this Bird’s last ability has the potential to generate a ton of value. Couple that with the fact that Wan Shi Tong scales well during the course of the game, and it makes sense why it received a lot of hype.
The only question was where exactly it would see play. So far, the two decks that seem to have had the most success adding Wan Shi Tong are Dimir Midrange and Jeskai Blink. In Dimir, besides its general applications, Wan Shi Tong does a great job setting up Kaito, Bane of Nightmares. It also pairs perfectly with Counterspell, since you’re free to hold up two mana and react to the opponent.
There aren’t many intriguing synergies to speak of with regard to Wan Shi Tong’s role in Jeskai Blink, though it can be nice to save the small threat with Ephemerate every now and again. Still, the card’s power level is just through the roof, so expect players to keep exploring other homes for the Bird Spirit.
The Legend of Roku
One of the more unexpected cards to make a splash in Modern is definitely The Legend of Roku. Chapter I does provide some value, and if you manage to transform the Saga, the payoff is huge. The issue is that the card is incredibly slow by Modern’s standards since it does nothing to affect the board the turn it comes down.
Yet, the card has shown up in a handful of Boros Energy sideboards thus far, showcasing just how potent a grindy option The Legend of Roku is. It does a great job helping you rebuild in the face of Wrath of the Skies, and otherwise, it’s a fantastic option to ramp out with Treasure tokens generated by Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. Earning a spot in Modern’s premium aggro deck isn’t easy for a four-mana play, but it just goes to show how pushed some of these Avatar designs truly are.
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