So far, all of the main characters from Edge of Eternities story have had a curious pattern. They are, obviously, all being represented in the set, but instead of being Mythic Rare cards, we’ve only seen them as signpost draft uncommons so far. While these characters may not be the most powerful MTG cards ever, they’re still somewhat interesting in the right circumstances.
Tannuk, Memorial Ensign, for example, is perhaps one of the best Landfall damage effects we’ve seen for Commander. Not only does this fulfill a desirable niche, but it can even double as card advantage. Sadly, Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte isn’t quite as interesting, but he does give us a hint of what else to expect in Edge of Eternities.
Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte
Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte is rather simple, but he’s very deserving as a signpost card for Limited, which is what he appears to be. For three mana, Alpharael offers hand filtering at worst, and card advantage should you discard an artifact. He’ll also have Deathtouch when he attacks, which is always useful for sneaking in damage. It would be better if Alpharael functioned as a relevant blocker, but the card, as far as Limited goes, is pretty good.
Past Limited, there isn’t really much you can do with Alpharael, but he could prove interesting in some very specific archetypes. Reanimator decks that use a lot of artifacts, or a deck trying to enable Emet-Selch, Unsundered‘s flip effect could merit some play, but Alpharael is rather underwhelming outside of a color-restricted strategy with major synergy potential. This card is outclassed in almost every scenario by cards like Steamcore Scholar, so you would need a very good reason to play it in constructed.
Artifact Matters Returns
The most meaningful thing that Alpharael tells us is that Artifact Matters is likely returning once again. Considering that Artifacts are already considered fringe playable in Standard, this is exciting. With a bit of support and the upcoming bans hopefully slowing down problematic archetypes, Artifacts may become a more consistent metagame staple.
Black artifacts otherwise have some support, like Demonic Junker, that could make Alpharael a stronger wheelspinning piece. Discard the gigantic artifact and play synergistic effects like Winter, Cursed Rider reanimation effects, and Proft’s Eidetic Memory to create a more aggressive creature-based Artifact deck. This would allow Alpharael’s Deathtouch effect to have some value, as well.
While Standard’s artifacts build is currently Azorius, mainly thanks to United Battlefront and Simulacrum Synthesizer, there is potential for three-colored decks to thrive in Edge of Eternities thanks to the mana implications of Shock Lands and Verges. Alpharael wouldn’t see play in a deck like this, but other cards could.
Even in the perfect archetype for Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte, however, the card will never be better than just ok. The chances of this particular card seeing any constructed play is low, but the cards that appear alongside it might do some heavy lifting.