Izzet Delver remains one of the top strategies in Legacy. Using tempo to your advantage in a format dominated by Daze and Wasteland is a tale as old as time. The addition of Cori-Steel Cutter gave the deck a big boost, allowing you to put on a lot of pressure and grind through removal.
Interestingly, though, one recent undefeated decklist in a Magic Online Legacy League played zero copies of the elite equipment. Instead, a new Final Fantasy MTG equipment took its place. This artifact is an extremely underrated engine that can completely take over a game if left unchecked and has a lot going for it in Izzet Delver specifically. Let’s dive in and see what this new card brings to the table.
Astrologian’s Planisphere in Legacy
The equipment we’re discussing is none other than Astrologian’s Planisphere. Planisphere is a very efficient card for the effect it provides. Thanks to Job Select, when it enters, you get a 1/1 right away for your troubles with this equipment attached.
A 1/1 isn’t that scary, but it’s exceptionally easy to grow this creature into a massive threat. What makes this card so threatening is that this deck features a multitude of cheap spells, some of which can protect your big creature.
Mishra’s Bauble is a great follow-up to Planisphere. Brainstorm is particularly excellent, as you’ll get +1/+1 counters on your creature both from casting Brainstorm and from drawing your third card once Brainstorm resolves.
Between Daze and Force of Will, you have plenty of ways to interact and keep your threats alive. Notably, Planisphere’s equip cost is pretty low, so sometimes, it’s worth letting your Hero token die to a removal spell with the intention of attaching Planisphere to one of your fliers. Dragon’s Rage Channeler and Delver of Secrets become huge problems in no time when you start buffing them repeatedly.
With so many efficient spells in your deck, Planisphere presents a very fast clock. Your cantrips like Bauble, Brainstorm, and Ponder ensure you won’t run out of gas, either. Planisphere clearly has a lot of upside. The question is: is it better or worse than Cori-Steel Cutter?
Cutter Versus Planisphere
In Izzet Delver, Planisphere has a few things going for it that Cutter does not. First and foremost, Planisphere is blue. This means that it can be pitched to Force of Will and Force of Negation when applicable.
This is surprisingly a big deal. As good as Cutter is, it’s still a two-mana play. If you don’t have Bauble at the ready, it does nothing the turn it comes down if you play it turn two. As such, starting with multiple copies of Cutter in your opening hand as Izzet Delver can make your draw rather clunky.
Drawing multiple copies of Planisphere is much less punishing. Not only do you get a guaranteed threat out of the deal when Planisphere enters, but you can always pitch excess copies to Force of Will and Force of Negation, so you don’t risk extra copies rotting in your hand.
That being said, there are matchups where Cutter shines. One of Cutter’s prominent features is that it lets you go wide. Against decks with lots of removal spells, Cutter is a more threatening option.
Planisphere does a good job letting your creatures outsize damage-based removal pretty quickly, which can be quite useful in the Izzet Delver mirror. When facing down Swords to Plowshares strategies, though, you’d rather be able to flood the board with tokens.
Planisphere Making Waves
Planisphere shines in Izzet Delver, but this is hardly the only archetype showcasing Planisphere’s power out of the gates. In a Hareruya Daily event, one player had success with mono-blue Delver boasting a playset of Planisphere.
Staying mono-blue has its perks. Most importantly, it makes you nearly immune to Wasteland. Now, with Delver, Murktide Regent, and Planisphere in the equation, it’s possible mono-blue has enough potent threats to make a bigger splash in Legacy.
Outside of Legacy, some players are starting to utilize Planisphere alongside Cutter in Standard Izzet Prowess. Standard Izzet Prowess feels like a great home for Planisphere. Cantrips such as Opt and Sleight of Hand keep the +1/+1 counters flowing. Monstrous Rage then lets your big attacker push through damage.
In a Standard environment, playing both Cutter and Planisphere isn’t as concerning, as the format is naturally slower and less punishing than Legacy. All in all, Planisphere is a brutal rare that many players (including us) underrated during spoiler season. Expect to play against Planisphere a lot in the coming weeks, from Standard down to Legacy.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage!