Though the main set is now entirely out there, preview season for Marvel Super Heroes continues this week with its four Commander precons. Today saw the full reveal of The Fantastic Four deck, a noncreature-focused, four-color MTG extravaganza. Despite the deck being a bit middling, a few new Commander gems have some surprising versatility.
Valeria Richards, Precocious MTG
Combining a discount effect and a payoff in one legendary, Valeria Richards, Precocious looks like an engine with potential for cEDH play. Getting to draw up to four cards per turn cycle makes this incredibly versatile, capable of slotting into a range of strategies.
For starters, Valeria feels like an auto-include in the 99 of pretty much any Spellslinger deck, like Vivi Ornitier and Stella Lee, Wild Card. The discount is great for getting the most out of your game plan, and the extra draw helps them avoid running out of gas. Since it also triggers on opponents’ turns, Valeria’s draw ability makes running interaction like Swan Song much more attractive, too.
On top of this, Valeria could also see play as a value engine in other noncreature-focused decks. Artifact decks, for instance, can get a lot out of both abilities, deploying engines like Simulacrum Synthesizer while generating advantage. It’s also a nice add to Voltron or Enchantress decks in blue, like Kotis, the Fangkeeper, where it can speed up your Auras/Equipment and make them card-neutral.
You can really make the most of Valeria by copying her with cards like Spark Double, doubling both her discount and her card draw. Repeatable blink effects, like Deadeye Navigator and Eldrazi Displacer, will also let you draw extra cards each turn with her, when you really want to dig for the win.
Invisible Force Field MTG
With how prevalent board wipes are in Commander, good protection like Invisible Force Field is essential. While it only covers four targets, said targets can be any permanents, not just creatures, which gives it an edge over popular picks like Selfless Spirit. Not only can it keep your best creatures safe from a Blasphemous Act, but it can protect key artifacts and enchantments from Austere Command, to boot.
The other big advantage Invisible Force Field offers is its Rebound ability, which lets you play the card proactively as well. By picking targets at the start of the following turn, you can swing in freely with your best creatures, or keep four permanents safe from your own board wipe. You can even trigger some payoffs like Vega, the Watcher, who wants you to cast spells from outside your hand.
The fact that Invisible Force Field targets your creatures is a surprisingly nice bonus as well. This makes it a mass protection piece you can get back for free with Mavinda, Students’ Advocate. The instant is particularly good in Feather, the Redeemed decks, as a way to keep a core group of permanents safe every single turn.
Nova Flame
Nova Flame follows in the formidable footsteps of cards like Chandra’s Ignition as a board wipe that scales with the power of your best creature. While it lacks Ignition’s ability to hit players as well, it makes up for that by being much more flexible.
For starters, at a four mana base cost, Nova Flame is the cheapest version of this effect we have. This makes it easy to pair the card with cheap Deathtouch creatures like Baleful Strix for a full clear. On the other hand, the ability to scale your chosen creature up means you can more easily clear the board by sheer numbers alone.
Since there’s no limit to how much mana you can pump into Nova Flame, it can quickly become a surprise win condition. Generate infinite mana with any kind of combo, and you can clear the way before taking an opponent out with your now-massive creature. Alternatively, you can run Nova Flame alongside damage redirecters like Brash Taunter, and take out every opponent at once instead.
While it has stiff competition in its category from the recent offering Soul Immolation, I still think Nova Flame will see a ton of play. Being a solid board wipe with extra potential as a combo win con gives it a unique edge, and one that all manner of decks will be interested in.
Other Contenders
The rest of the newcomers in The Fantastic Four MTG precon deck are less impressive, but there are still some gems to be found. Council of Reeds, for example, is a new Mirror Gallery effect for three mana, which replicates itself each turn for extra resilience. Given how many powerful legendary creatures we get nowadays, this is a great addition to decks that rely heavily on Clone effects, like Orvar, the All-Form.
We also got to see a potent new multicolor draw spell here in First Family. While it seems niche at first, this can easily become a supercharged Sphinx’s Revelation when paired with Tam, Mindful First-Year. It’s also just naturally powerful in any four + color deck, making it a great addition to lists like The Ur-Dragon or Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice.
All in all, The Fantastic Four Commander precon is well-served for potential playables. Though there looks to be a lot of filler in here, I have a feeling the long-term value will be quite high with this one.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast!