Previews have barely begun, yet we’ve already seen multiple new card types, mechanics, and throwbacks to old, broken designs. One of the coolest aspects of the new set is undoubtedly the bonus sheet of alternate art lands. Dubbed “Steller Sights,” this collection of cards is meant to show off some of Magic’s most iconic lands from throughout the years.
Sadly, while there are tons of fantastic lands in Magic’s history to reprint, this bonus sheet isn’t all hits. The few cards we’ve seen so far, including these latest leaks, have all fallen a bit short. Notably, these leaks haven’t been confirmed; however, the sheer volume of leaks we’ve seen does make these seem genuine.
Nevertheless, if you want to wait until Edge of Eternities’ spoiler season officially starts, consider this your spoiler warning.
Bonders’ Enclave
Bonders’ Enclave is a land originally printed in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. Since then, it has appeared in a multitude of Commander Precons.
Despite its many printings, though, the land is nothing to write home about. It only produces colorless, and its activated ability is both mana-hungry and restrictive. Unsurprisingly, it sees virtually no Constructed play.
Even in Commander, most decks can’t maximize this type of effect. You really need to be ramping hard, playing lots of burly creatures, and have a deck without hefty color requirements to get use from this card. While Bonders’ Enclave is useful alongside Commanders like Ghalta, Primal Hunger, don’t expect to be able to shove this into any deck.
Financially speaking, Bonders’ Enclave is a mediocre bonus sheet inclusion, too. Its latest printing in Final Fantasy Commander is worth just over 40 cents in non-foil form. The good news is that this bonus sheet version will be the first opportunity for Commander players to get an alternate art copy in foil, which is nice.
Cathedral of War
The other leaked bonus sheet card is in a similar boat. Cathedral of War provides a pretty cool effect. The problem is that the downsides of entering tapped and only producing colorless mana are pretty severe. As nice as the upside of providing Exalted is, it’s not really enough to make up for these downsides.
This isn’t to say there aren’t some EDH shells that can utilize Cathedral of War. It synergizes with Rafiq of the Many and other legends that reward you for attacking with one creature at a time. Once again, though, playing a tapped colorless land in a three-color deck can be costly.
With limited Commander usage and almost no competitive appeal, it’s no wonder that players seem disappointed with this bonus sheet choice. The only redeeming quality about this decision is that Cathedral of War has only appeared in Magic 2013 and The List, so a new printing is a welcome sight for those who want it. Cathedral of War is currently worth a little over $1 in its cheapest, non-foil form.
Warping Wail Special Guest
Lastly, one of Edge of Eternities’ Special Guests has also been leaked. Warping Wail may not be the most exciting card, but that hasn’t stopped players from admiring the art style. The card gives off Secret Lair vibes, which is pretty intriguing considering you can open these cards in Play Boosters.
As a specific card choice, Warping Wail isn’t that special. Still, unlike the previous two cards, this one does see plenty of Constructed play. Eldrazi decks in Modern, in particular, can make great use of Warping Wail as a much-needed piece of interaction.
Its versatility is what puts it over the top. Whether you’re exiling Ocelot Pride, countering Living End, or ramping out a huge haymaker, it’s hard to go wrong. Thanks to Ugin’s Labyrinth, casting Warping Wail on turn one in Modern isn’t out of the question.
The biggest drawback to Warping Wail being a Special Guest is that it isn’t a valuable reprint. After all, Warping Wail is just an uncommon in Oath of the Gatewatch, Commander Masters, and Modern Horizons 3 Commander. It doesn’t even crack 30 cents in its cheapest traditional form.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage!