The official release of MTG Marvel Super Heroes is now less than one month away, and there’s a lot to look forward to. If yesterday’s teaser reveals were any indication, this set is bound to be chock-full of interesting designs.
While spoiler season doesn’t actually start until next Tuesday, it appears we’re getting an early glimpse at some new legends. Today, the Magic Classified covers for four upcoming Marvel comics have been revealed, debuting new cards along with them. Technically, these are leaks at the moment; however, they do appear to be genuine.
Wolverine, Fierce Fighter
Interestingly, Wolverine, Fierce Fighter is the first card that has featured healing as part of its rules text. The idea here is that Wolverine needs to be dealt lethal damage in one hit, as it’ll heal any damage between fights. While this should make Wolverine, Fierce Fighter a pretty compelling blocker, admittedly, dealing five damage at once is hardly impossible.
Unfortunately, as neat as this ability is, Wolverine may struggle to find a good home. This card has to compete with the likes of Ouroboroid and Brightglass Gearhulk in Standard, which seem like better four-drops. Additionally, despite having legendary status, it seems unlikely that this creature will emerge as a strong Commander. Wolverine does at least look like a nice fit in the 99 of fight-themed Wayta, Trainer Prodigy or Neyith of the Dire Hunt decks, though.
The Fantastic Four
By contrast, while The Fantastic Four isn’t the flashiest legend out there and won’t be Standard legal, its modal abilities make it quite an intriguing Commander. Obviously, the goal with this creature in play is to cast spells that fit the four-themed criteria to get bonuses. This is very simple, but with the right support, The Fantastic Four goes pretty hard.
The easiest way to abuse this legend is to fill your deck with creatures that can trigger it on the cheap. Greenbelt Rampager is an especially cute option, since it bounces back to your hand to be recast multiple times. Similarly, noncreature spells with alternate casting costs, like Force of Vigor, make it trivial to trigger The Fantastic Four on your opponent’s turn. Notably, blink effects like Deadeye Navigator also turbocharge this creature’s triggered abilities.
Considering how easy it is to flood the board with Walls, general Defender payoffs like Arcades, the Strategist and Axebane Guardian also make for strong additions. Similarly, using The Fantastic Four to put +1/+1 counters on Fathom Mage and other payoffs is a great way to pull ahead. The build-around potential is truly through the roof with this card.
Hit-Monkey
As a creature with a multitude of powerful keywords, Hit-Monkey really suffers from being a Commander card. In most games, it’s easy for your opponents to ignore a three-power creature that doesn’t generate value. Where Hit Monkey does still have some appeal is in the 99 of Rayami, First of the Fallen and Indominus Rex, Alpha decks that benefit from “keyword soup” creatures. Just don’t expect Hit-Monkey to be a widespread staple or make much noise as a Commander itself.
More to Come
Lastly, while not a new card, it appears that Dark Ritual is earning a reprint in one of the Marvel Super Heroes Commander precons. While not super expensive, this reprint does still hold a roughly $4 price tag due to its widespread demand. This is simply one of the best bursts of mana ever printed, and should make for a perfect addition to any Baron Helmut Zemo or other new black Commander deck.
Overall, each of these cards does a decent job showing off the flavor of the set. If you’re a fan of Marvel and want to get your hands on as many of these designs as you can, make sure to mark your calendar for the set’s official release date on June 26th.
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!