Tarkir: Dragonstorm may have been out for a few weeks already, but it’s not all said and done. Next Tuesday, April 29th, we’ll get 30 new cards thanks to the release of Alchemy: Tarkir. As always, this set should have plenty of exciting designs that are only possible in the digital space. The latest batch of spoilers, however, leaves a lot to be desired.
From a competitive standpoint, almost all of the recently spoiled Alchemy: Tarkir cards aren’t much to write home about. From a flavor perspective, however, these cards are all slam dunks that have a lot of players excited.
Oasis of Renewal
To kick things off, we have the one new Alchemy: Tarkir spoiler that actually looks rather strong. Even with its once-per-turn clause, or rather clauses, Oasis of Renewal is still a valuable Seek engine. Capable of finding both a land and nonland once each turn, this card can routinely provide compelling value in the right archetype.
Thankfully, this archetype isn’t one that we have to optimistically build around Oasis of Renewal. Instead, the Sultai Roots deck already exists in Alchemy, providing the perfect framework for this card to excel. Alongside the titular Insidious Roots and Chitinous Crawler, breaking this card should be a breeze.
While the Roots and Crawler combo is more than enough to close out games, Oasis of Renewal should nonetheless provide added consistency. Right now, it’s unclear how much of a boost this will be to the Sultai Roots archetype. Thankfully, since this is Alchemy we’re talking about, we know that any problems that get created can be easily dealt with.
Call the Crash
Moving on, the next most exciting card, Call the Crash, is just two Siege Rhinos in one. As you might expect, this costs a fair bit more than usual, however, you’re still getting a good deal. Not only are you getting two bodies from one card, but you’re also only paying six mana. Despite this, Call the Crash isn’t exactly a good MTG card.
As much as you can Suspend it to pay the usual Siege Rhino cost; this card just isn’t fast enough. Mono Red might not be a problem in Alchemy, but you’ll still struggle to get Call the Crash out at a reasonable pace. If you could, then getting two bodies while draining your opponent would be nuts, but you’d need a massive amount of ramp to get there.
With this in mind, it seems that Call the Crash is destined to only be played in meme decks and Brawl. Thankfully, the card will be great in this format, at least, just as it would be in Commander. Sadly, as a digital-exclusive card, Call the Crash isn’t playable in that format without being allowed by Rule Zero. We can only hope that, if Wizards ends up physically printing Alchemy cards, this one gets the green light.
Bold Knuckleblade
- Mana Value: GUR
- Rarity: Rare
- Type: Ogre Warrior Wizard
- Card Text: Exhaust－2G：Seek a card named Bold Knuckleblade, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Exhaust－1U：Surveil 2, then untap this creature.
Exhaust－R：Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
Being built around Exhaust, Bold Knuckleblade feels like a blast from the not-too-distant past. While it may seem strange for an Aetherdrift mechanic to be used here, it’s honestly great to see. While technically racing-themed, Exhaust is generic enough to be used elsewhere, and Bold Knuckleblade proves exactly that.
On social media, MTG players are already enjoying this flavorful crossover, and we hope it continues too. While tracking Exhaust is a touch more complex than usual, this mechanic does have plenty of interesting possibilities, after all. On Bold Knuckleblade, Exhaust is mostly there to find and support new copies of itself, which is flashy, if ineffective.
Sadly, while it can provide Haste, Bold Knuckleblade is just too slow for most competitive formats on MTG Arena. By tapping itself and the Seeked duplicate, you’re essentially stalling yourself out for a turn with no instant impact. In Limited, however, this card could be a bomb, provided you can pick up enough of them.
Sisbig Artisan
- Mana Value: 1B
- Rarity: Rare
- Type: Human Artificier
- Card Text: Renew 1BB, exile this card from your graveyard: Put three +1/+1 counters on target creature you control. It gains this ability perpetually. Activate only as a sorcery.
To date, Sisbig Artisan is the latest Alchemy: Tarkir spoiler to be revealed, and it’s also one of the least impressive. For two mana, you get a fairly mediocre body and an ability that can only be used from the graveyard. As is always the case nowadays, this lack of instant impact basically kills Sisbig Artisan’s competitive potential. That being said, it’s not all bad news.
Sisbig Artisan’s Renew ability does come with a Perpetual clause, allowing it to be activated over and over again. Should you have enough mana, this can keep one of your creatures basically always buffed with three +1/+1 counters. Admittedly, while this can be useful, it’s still not very good, especially for three mana each activation.
Once again, Sisbig Artisan seems like it’s only really going to be good in Limited. In Draft and Sealed, games should go on long enough that you can actually use Sisbig Artisan’s ability a few times. Outside of this rather niche use case, however, I wouldn’t expect the world from this new Alchemy: Tarkir spoiler.
