The spoiler season for Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate has officially begun, and Wizards of the Coast have kicked things off in style. Announcing a trio of new mechanics and a handful of spoilers, there’s already a lot to be excited about. Wizards also announced that Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate will feature 81 cards!
For better or worse, not all of the 81 Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate are reprints. This is because, much like other Alchemy sets, the Arena-only set will feature new, rebalanced, and reimagined cards. Without the need for a paper counterpart, Wizards has gone wacky and wild with some of the designs.
Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple
With three new mechanics to show off, Wizards of the Coast needed some examples. So to show off the brand new Specialize mechanic, Wizards unveiled Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple. To put it simply, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple is insane. This is because, thanks to the new Specialize mechanic, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple isn’t just one card. They’re six.
Using the new Specialize ability, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple can be changed into one of five variants. Activated for two mana, the effect, and color, of the new variant are determined by the color of the permanent you discard upon activating Specialize. Each of these new forms gives Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple added utility from its ability to exile cards from graveyards.
Previously, the closest thing we’ve seen to this mechanic in past sets are the variations in Unstable. In Unstable, some of the “216-ish” cards featured different variants that had different art, flavor text, watermarks, or even abilities. Unlike Specialize cards, each Unstable variant was a different card you could play. For Specialize cards, the only version you will be able to cast is Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple.
How Does It All Work?
With five unique variants brought into play through a new mechanic, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple is just a little confusing, to say the least. Mercifully, each variant of Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple follows a naming convention that makes things easier to follow. Nevertheless, to make things as simple as possible, here’s a list going over each one of the variants and how they’re brought into play through Specialize.
- If you discard a white card or a Plains you get Viconia, Disciple of Rebirth.
- If you discard a blue card or an Island you get Viconia, Disciple of Arcana.
- If you discard a black card or a Swamp you get Viconia, Disciple of Blood.
- If you discard a red card or a Mountain you get Viconia, Disciple of Violence.
- If you discard a green card or a Forest you get Viconia, Disciple of Strength.
Alongside following a naming convention, each variant of Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple feature similar abilities. Built upon the theme of conjuring a duplicate of a spell that was exiled with Viconia’s second ability, each variant has its color-based twist that gets applied to the conjured spell. For instance, the green infused Viconia, Disciple of Strength permanently gives the target creature +2/+2.
Predominantly, variants of Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple allow you to target a creature exiled by itself. Viconia, Disciple of Arcana is the exception to this rule, as this blue-infused variant can target an instant or sorcery. All versions of Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple put the duplicated into your hand with the ability “you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast this spell.”
Once again, for simplicities sake, here’s everything that each version of Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple does.
- Viconia, Disciple of Rebirth perpetually gives conjured creature “If it has mana value three or less, you may put it onto the battlefield”.
- Viconia, Disciple of Arcana allows you to target an instant or sorcery to conjure.
- Viconia, Disciple of Blood perpetually gives conjured creature +1/_0 and Haste.
- Viconia, Disciple of Violence perpetually gives conjured creature “when this creature enters the battlefield, each opponent loses two life and you gain two life”.
- Viconia, Disciple of Strength perpetually gives conjured creature +2/+2.
Barely Useful Wackiness
With Mizzix’s Mastery seeing a lot of play in MTG Arena’s Historic format, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple could be somewhat helpful. Thanks to the prevalence of Mizzix’s Mastery and dredge decks, graveyard hate is already mandatory sideboard tech. While it’s nowhere near as good, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple could be another piece of sideboard tech with fringe usefulness.
Being more expensive, less accessible, and requiring Specializing to be helpful, Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple is quite bad. Nevertheless, playing Viconia, Disciple of Arcana to steal a bomb from your opponent’s graveyard could result in a fun snap concede. Unfortunately, that’s probably the best you’ll get outside Limited events.
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