So let's cut to the chase with our favorite Marshmallow Shapes.
Hearts? Stars? Horseshoes? Nope.
THIS IS THE STACK!
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
I think the sweetest charm is probably Esper Charm, but I never play it. This is by far the charm that I play the most. In Commander I like to get it on Isochron Scepter. In Pauper, it fogs a Creature for one turn or temporarily removes a blocker, jumps your Creature, or Cycles at the very least. It isn't huge value, but the key to the power of any charm is its versatility. I love these cycles whenever they get printed and I am always excited to see more. I look forward to sets with dedicated groups or color alliances specifically because it means there is a chance for a new charm cycle.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Never have I seen this card in play, but good golly do I want to. There has to be some kind of advantage to drawing a card on the next upkeep, but the only thing I can think of is to prevent a possible discard. Phasing is also unusual, and something that I've often fancied; but alas, I'm perhaps "too young" to fully understand Phasing. If anything, this card is purely intriguing to me, not to mention the kick-ass artwork.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Just beyond surprised at how under-represented this is in the Commander lists I've seen. I'm guessing it's because players don't want to have to learn phasing, which is a bummer. I won't say Phasing is a great mechanic, because it creates and fosters some serious inefficiency. Still, this is the kind of stuff that's really found a nice home in the format and wants to be played in Commander. Not only is it flexible, but can give your opponent the equivalent of a "curve ball" if they aren't on the up-and-up with the old school tech.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I've already mentioned my love of this card in the past. Though the efficacy of the card was more aligned towards Standard or Modern game types, it is still relevant in the world of Commander. I feel that with the right deck, this could be game changing.
The Lifelink until end of turn is really what wins me over in terms of this card's use in Commander. Very few people I play with have life-gain focused decks, but the ones who do (and they are usually Bant colored) have a copy of this in their decks for this first ability.
The last two abilities are admittedly much better in 60-card decks, but are still valid moves in EDH. Being able to stick someone's commander on top of their deck, then finding a way to shuffle him in is always fun. Though this is by no means efficient compared to other "draw card" cards, trading out one card for another is never really awful.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
The thumbs I put up are often just because I'm willing to play the card, or have actually played it. This encompasses a lot of cards, naturally.
This was in my Daxos deck, where I feel like its abilities were relevant. The card draw was a need, the life gain was part of the strategy, and the Time Ebb/Griptide put a creature in the way of Daxos' trigger.
Even through all that, I wasn't that impressed with it. My go-to's of Memory Lapse/Lapse of Certainty and Unexpectedly Absent were enough, and signifcantly more tempo.
I'm not unwilling to try it again, I'm just kinda turned off by it. I thought it would be a flexible version of something I was already trying to do in the deck, and it really wasn't. I like it, but I'm not beyond replacing it. Really wants to be part of an Isochron package.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
This card is among the best of the RTR charm cycle, though that isn't saying much for its power level. When the best use for a card is to just change it into another random card, for an additional cost of two colored mana mind you, then the card isn't very good. There isn't really much reason to play a Time Ebb effect since there is already so much high quality removal available in the format. If anything Submerge is probably the best in this category and sees little-to-no play. More generally, I don't even like where this color combination is in the format. Bant and Esper, despite adding an extra color's worth of depth, pale in comparison to the power of U/R or U/G decks. Without a good reason to play this, or a good deck to play it in, this is definitely not on my list.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
This is a card I've been playing in various decks for years now, and I think I'm going to be very alone when it comes to even wanting to play Evolution Charm, because I know it's really not that good.
Still, I can't deny how functional it's been in tight spots- Specifically in mono-Green. It gets me land early on. It gets me another threat later on, or a pre-existing threat evasion for a nice surprise "combat trick."
At common, and as an Instant, this is as good as Green is going to get to Sapphire Charm, and I'm okay with that.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I have put some limited mileage on my single copy of this card. Even if the third mode was blank (which it often is), the first two abilities have surprising synergy; one being good early and one being good late. It is usual for charms to feel under-powered when you just read the abilities; the power of flexibility is hard to gauge. Unfortunately, this doesn't require much thought. It will be obvious what mode you are going to choose the moment you draw this card, but in more casual lists this can be a solid roll player.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I don't know If I necessarily agree with UL's saying that this card is "not really that good." For him, it may have been good in tight spots; but for me, I see much potential in this card. The second ability is really what does it for me. I enjoy the fact that green is also associated with reviving creatures from the grave, so that I have insurance in my Rafiq of the Many deck or in my Kamahl, Fist of Krosa deck.
-GG/VJ/UL
I've already mentioned my love of this card in the past. Though the efficacy of the card was more aligned towards Standard or Modern game types, it is still relevant in the world of Commander. I feel that with the right deck, this could be game changing.
The Lifelink until end of turn is really what wins me over in terms of this card's use in Commander. Very few people I play with have life-gain focused decks, but the ones who do (and they are usually Bant colored) have a copy of this in their decks for this first ability.
The last two abilities are admittedly much better in 60-card decks, but are still valid moves in EDH. Being able to stick someone's commander on top of their deck, then finding a way to shuffle him in is always fun. Though this is by no means efficient compared to other "draw card" cards, trading out one card for another is never really awful.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
The thumbs I put up are often just because I'm willing to play the card, or have actually played it. This encompasses a lot of cards, naturally.
This was in my Daxos deck, where I feel like its abilities were relevant. The card draw was a need, the life gain was part of the strategy, and the Time Ebb/Griptide put a creature in the way of Daxos' trigger.
Even through all that, I wasn't that impressed with it. My go-to's of Memory Lapse/Lapse of Certainty and Unexpectedly Absent were enough, and signifcantly more tempo.
I'm not unwilling to try it again, I'm just kinda turned off by it. I thought it would be a flexible version of something I was already trying to do in the deck, and it really wasn't. I like it, but I'm not beyond replacing it. Really wants to be part of an Isochron package.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
This card is among the best of the RTR charm cycle, though that isn't saying much for its power level. When the best use for a card is to just change it into another random card, for an additional cost of two colored mana mind you, then the card isn't very good. There isn't really much reason to play a Time Ebb effect since there is already so much high quality removal available in the format. If anything Submerge is probably the best in this category and sees little-to-no play. More generally, I don't even like where this color combination is in the format. Bant and Esper, despite adding an extra color's worth of depth, pale in comparison to the power of U/R or U/G decks. Without a good reason to play this, or a good deck to play it in, this is definitely not on my list.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
This is a card I've been playing in various decks for years now, and I think I'm going to be very alone when it comes to even wanting to play Evolution Charm, because I know it's really not that good.
Still, I can't deny how functional it's been in tight spots- Specifically in mono-Green. It gets me land early on. It gets me another threat later on, or a pre-existing threat evasion for a nice surprise "combat trick."
At common, and as an Instant, this is as good as Green is going to get to Sapphire Charm, and I'm okay with that.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I have put some limited mileage on my single copy of this card. Even if the third mode was blank (which it often is), the first two abilities have surprising synergy; one being good early and one being good late. It is usual for charms to feel under-powered when you just read the abilities; the power of flexibility is hard to gauge. Unfortunately, this doesn't require much thought. It will be obvious what mode you are going to choose the moment you draw this card, but in more casual lists this can be a solid roll player.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I don't know If I necessarily agree with UL's saying that this card is "not really that good." For him, it may have been good in tight spots; but for me, I see much potential in this card. The second ability is really what does it for me. I enjoy the fact that green is also associated with reviving creatures from the grave, so that I have insurance in my Rafiq of the Many deck or in my Kamahl, Fist of Krosa deck.
-GG/VJ/UL
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