With the MTG Marvel Super Heroes Debut scheduled for 10 AM PT today, we’re right on the cusp of an exciting new spoiler season. Here at the eleventh hour, however, some errant leaks have revealed a few key legends from the set early. If these early leaks are anything to go by, we’re in for a real treat with MTG Marvel Super Heroes over the next few weeks.
Thanos, The Mad Titan MTG
As soon as the Infinity Stone formula was established, players started speculating about a potential five-color Thanos card to go with them. Turns out that card not only exists, but it’s in Marvel Super Heroes, and just as powerful as you’d hope.
While it’s color-intensive, Thanos, the Mad Titan offers a strong body right out of the gate. The real sauce is that Power-up ability, however, which can wipe out all odd or even-cost creatures on use. With how Power-up works, you can activate this ability for just three mana the turn Thanos enters, too, which is a pretty solid deal. You can also blink or reanimate Thanos to reset the ‘activate only once’ clause and get the discount again, too.
As a board wipe, Thanos is powerful but inconsistent. Picking even will likely be the optimal choice most of the time, since you’ll get to take out tokens with that as well. On mixed-cost boards, it could feel underwhelming; however, getting a board wipe attached to a five-color Commander is very strong, as Child of Alara proves.
The Astonishing Ant-Man MTG
– Mana Value: GU
– Type: Legendary Creature – Human Scientist Hero
– Rarity: Rare
– Card Text: Whenever you draw a card, put a +1/+1 counter on The Astonishing Ant-Man.
2G, Tap, Remove any number of +1/+1 counters from The Astonishing Ant-Man: Create that many 1/1 green Insect creature tokens.
– Stats: 1/1
While The Astonishing Ant-Man starts weak, it quickly scales up as you draw cards. As you might expect, this works particularly well with cards like Brainstorm and Sylvan Library. Even just following this up with a standard Divination will give you a 4/4 that can attack on turn three, which isn’t bad at all.
This ability also unlocks a nifty infinite combo with O’aka, Traveling Merchant and Mind Over Matter. With a counter on Ant-Man, you can tap O’aka to remove it and draw, immediately replacing the counter. You can then discard your new card to Mind Over Matter to untap O’aka, and repeat the process, looting through your whole deck.
The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as Ant-Man also has the ability to cash in its counters for an Insect army. While there are some card-intensive infinite combos possible here, for the most part, this seems better as insurance against removal.
Though it’s definitely interesting, Ant-Man definitely seems like more of a 99 card than a Commander in itself. It should absolutely thrive in that role, however, with +1/+1 counter Commanders like Ezuri, Claw of Progress and Token Commanders like Zimone and Dina being great homes.
Shang-Chi, Master Of Kung Fu MTG
– Mana Value: 1G
– Type: Legendary Creature – Human Warrior Hero
– Rarity: Unknown
– Card Text: You may activate abilities of creatures you control as though those creatures had Haste.
Tap: Add two mana of any one color. Spend this mana only to activate abilities of creature sources.
– Stats: 2/2
While many players are surprised to see a combat-focused character like Shang-Chi as a mana dork, it’s hard to deny the raw power on offer here. Being a two-mana Haste granter for abilities is excellent in itself, since the existing cards that can do this all cost more.
This immediately makes Shang-Chi a great pairing with cards like Enduring Vitality for quick mana, or Commanders that rely on activated abilities like Baba Lysaga, Night Witch. These relatively fair uses aside, players are already discussing the card for cEDH as well. Here, Shang-Chi seems like a slam-dunk alongside Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy, Sisay, Weatherlight Captain, and Tayam, Luminous Enigma.
With a suite of clear homes already visible, Shang-Chi will likely be a very popular Commander card. Some hopeful souls are even talking about it in Standard as a tool for Insidious Roots decks to make a comeback. Either way, this is a very promising card, and a highlight from this early batch of Marvel Super Heroes leaks.
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