Since October, I've been seeing these five charms see quite a bit of play. Most of the time, they show up in standard decks, but the charms are becoming more and more popular in commander. However, not all of these cards are terribly useful unless you have multiple copies, so for the purposes of TGZ, I'll review each of these and give my opinion on how they are in standard, then give my opinon on how they are in EDH.
The way I'll rate is on a scale of 4; where 4 means incredibly flexible, effective, possibly game-changing, and all around awesome; 3 means a good card, but lacks in one of the aforementioned qualities; 2 means playable, but just barely, seeing how there are several flaws in the card's design; 1 means not playable due to really poor effects and limited utility; and 0 means that this card makes players want to sue Wizards of the Coast.
1. Azorius Charm: This card is classically Blue/White in that each effect is very much a control or defensive effect. The ability to give creatures you control lifelink is a great way to re-up your life if you're in a tight spot, or if you have a Drogskol Reaver on the field and feel like drawing eight cards. Although I really haven't used this first effect often, nor have I seen it played this way often, it seems like a legitimate strategy. The second effect is a crucial one, because being able to cycle through your deck faster can help bring you to the cards you need. The last ability is really the rage of this card. What with all of the heavy hitters seen in standard, being able to remove a creature from combat AND control what that player draws next is purely Azorius tech. It's also a very effective way of protecting your attacking creatures.
Now for my ratings. Standard: 4/4 - The card is just so versatile in that it is well suited for both defensive and control based strategies, and can make your offense really pay off, not to mention slow down an opponent's draw while buying you more time for your Drogskol Reaver or Isperia or Azor's Elocutors, whatever your win con is. Stick a playset in any U/W standard deck!
Commander: 3/4 - The card holds up its broad range of utility in Commander, but lacks the ability to really change the game. In a style that is meant to take a little longer, this mid-range card is at best going to top deck you a game-changing card, but may not change the odds in your favor. If faced with an onslaught of crazy creatures, Azorius Charm's third ability will most likely fall short, since it only targets one attacking or blocking creature. Other than that, lifelink is still great in EDH and making your opponent essentially lose a draw is still awesome.
2. Golgari Charm: When I first saw this card, I thought little of it. Yeah, you can weaken a bunch of creatures or regenerate your own, but I thought it was limited. After seeing it in play, I realized how wrong I was. This card is the only Charm in Return to Ravnica that could possibly serve as a two-drop board wipe. Giving all creatures -1/-1 will shut down many Soldier/Saproling/Spirit decks and could weaken an opponent's board presence enough to discourage any attacking or defending. Being able to destroy an enchantment is always nice, but regenerating each creature you control is really what makes this card fantastic. Granted that Supreme Verdict is horribly broken, nowhere does it say that those creatures can't be regenerated.
Standard: 2/4 - This card seems designed with a particular metagame in mind, and therefore serves standard decks best as a sideboard card. Although it is playable in a maindeck, I wouldn't recommend it unless you know for a fact that every single opponent is playing enchantment heavy, board wipe heavy, and 1/1 creature heavy decks.
Commander: 4/4 - Now I know this may seem like a leap, but this card is far more versatile in EDH simply because EDH by nature is a more versatile style of gameplay. In EDH, you are more likely to encounter board wipes, pesky enchantments, and ridiculous numbers of 1/1 Pegasus... Pegasi? Pegasuses? Pegasae? Whatever you call the result of Storm Herd. In other words, this card alone can really change the game and put the odds in your favor.
3. Izzet Charm: I once heard Uncle Landdrops say that the Izzet Charm is the most powerful of the Return to Ravnica Charms, and I can see why he believes that. The first ability is definitely useful, and is an early game action against some silly planeswalker or sorcery that would just muddle the game. Dealing 2 damage to a creature is a great way to deal with key weanies or to stop a progressively growing creature like Champion of the Parish or Unruly Mob. Drawing two cards then discarding two can really help out during stagnant periods of excessive land draw or bring you closer to that all important card, while possibly filling your graveyard with instants and sorceries to boost a Runechanter's Pike or strategically setting up a crazy Snapcaster Mage combo.
Standard: 3/4 - I think this card, while powerful, is not terribly versatile. Drawing two cards is fantastic, but if you only have an Izzet Charm in your hand to begin with, it really won't do anything seeing how you have to discard two cards. Two-drop counterspells are wonderful, but this effect is really like a bad Negate. Two damage to a creature can shut down an opponent's combo, but it probably won't mean a thing if you're up against a fat green deck. Best kept in a sideboard, but one or two in the mainboard won't hurt.
Commander: 3/4 - My rating stays the same, and for similar reasons. Izzet Charm's first ability really won't mean much by the time opponents start playing really important noncreature spells, since most decks will be able to pay an extra 2 for their noncreature spell by that time. Pinging a creature for 2 damage could still potentially put the odds in your favor, though, and I'm perpetually a fan of drawing more cards.
4. Rakdos Charm: I'm not a huge fan of red/black, mainly because I am very used to control-based strategies, but I can see how Rakdos can be a really fun gameplay strategy. Exiling all cards from a player's graveyard is something that will give nightmares to graveborn decks and will shut down flashback-based decks, while giving you an advantage for playing a card like All Hallow's Eve or Twilight's Call. Destroying an artifact is a good ability, especially against crazy Metalcraft decks. The last effect is kind of interesting: each creature deals one damage to it's controller. I suppose this works well against token decks.
Standard: 2/4 - This card is severely limited, and that's not just my grudge against Rakdos speaking. This card is faulty in many respects. The first ability is only good against specific deck mechanics like graveborn or flashback; but other than that, it's kind of a useless ability. The second ability is good, but like the first, also limited. And while the first ability could possibly shut down a deck, the second ability will slow down one at best. The last ability may be the most useful one here, since most decks like creatures. But if you find yourself with less life than an opponent and more creatures, then you're doing more harm to yourself than your opponent. I'd barely recommend this for a sideboard.
Commander: 1/4 - Really, this card is not very playable, and you have to know your opponent well before going into battle or else look silly even bothering with this card. Yes, many EDH decks revolve around graveborn, but I'd rather have a Tormod's Crypt or a Nihil Spellbomb. Now the second ability might be good against a Memnarch or Karn deck, but not very effective for the proportions of EDH. The last ability I don't really think would have much of a payoff unless someone just popped off a Storm Herd. In that case, luck, not this card, was in your favor.
5. Selesnya Charm: Last, but definitely not least, is this gem of an instant. One of the best features of green/white decks is pumping up your creatures, and this charm does not fall short with giving +2/+2 and trample to one of your creatures. Being able to exlie giant creatures is also quite handy, since there will most likely be bruisers in standard and EDH. And my personal favorite thing about this card is that you can pop out a 2/2 with vigilance at instant speed!
Standard: 4/4 - Creature buffs, exiling behemoths, or sprouting knights, whatever you use this card for, it is awesome. It may be my personal playing style and metagame speaking, but this card could definitely change a game, and having a playset definitely won't hurt your game.
Commander: 3/4 - Like its Azorius cousin, this card keeps up some versatility, but is less useful considering how you only have one in your deck. A 2/2 knight is excellent in the early game, a creature buff is great mid game, and exiling a powerful creature is great any time of the game, so its utility will really depend on when in the game you draw it.
Well folks, you've heard my take on these charms, the only way you'll find out for yourselves is if you go out and use them!
(Just don't play against this guy).
Stay classy!
-VJ
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