Since it's been a long time since our last installment, and we've spent last week reviewing Theros' descending block Journey Into Nyx, I thought it'd be good to do a quick review of my retro-cyle review.
Today's cycle is one of my favorites- The Fifth Dawn Beacon cycle, which I affectionately call the "Bacon." Mostly it's out of my knack for lazy slang and wanting to fit square jokes into round board states, but the fact of the matter is, most of the cards in this cycle really can bring it home. And by it, I mean, "the bacon."
Today's cycle is one of my favorites- The Fifth Dawn Beacon cycle, which I affectionately call the "Bacon." Mostly it's out of my knack for lazy slang and wanting to fit square jokes into round board states, but the fact of the matter is, most of the cards in this cycle really can bring it home. And by it, I mean, "the bacon."
So if you like bacon (which, I don't know anyone other than annoying left-winged protest vegetarians who doesn't), then this might also be the cycle for you. Let's bring it back now.
Beginning at the stroke of midnight on our color pie clock, we've got "Bacon of Immortality."
This is one I know GG and I both really like. For starters, it's our favorite card type. Being an Instant means this is something control players and aggro players facing early hate can really get behind. The power scale for this in EDH is pretty incredible, and I find that it's castable basically until your life dips below 15.
Life gain is a subtle, underrated part of Commander. Only since the beginning of Oloro's do-nothing-but-get-life reign have players begun to understand how manipulating the value of this resource can change the game.
Although it isn't going to get you out of a hole against dedicated Voltron decks, there are some Commander players who don't play the 21-and-done rule. In that variant it's a house. In your average game, it's still pretty good.
This is one I know GG and I both really like. For starters, it's our favorite card type. Being an Instant means this is something control players and aggro players facing early hate can really get behind. The power scale for this in EDH is pretty incredible, and I find that it's castable basically until your life dips below 15.
Life gain is a subtle, underrated part of Commander. Only since the beginning of Oloro's do-nothing-but-get-life reign have players begun to understand how manipulating the value of this resource can change the game.
Although it isn't going to get you out of a hole against dedicated Voltron decks, there are some Commander players who don't play the 21-and-done rule. In that variant it's a house. In your average game, it's still pretty good.
Still, Eight is a hefty cost. I find that unlike Time Warp or Stretch, this Beacon really relies on a lot more setup in the turns leading up to casting it. Chances are you probably want to have mana open when you cast it, or enough stuff to do damage and generate tempo so that it's worthwhile. That's not unlike these other Warp spells, but the problem with this is that it isn't as likely to be cast for free without the aforementioned goodies I talked about.
For me, Beacon of Unrest is the ace in this cycle, and it's not even close.
Although it's sorcery-slow, the value it reaps off of other cards in your deck and your opponent's is enormous. Unlike Ashen Powder or some of the other black reanimator spells, it doesn't just target a specific graveyard, and it's liable to be cast multiple times in a game. This ability has actually saved me from milling myself out, which has happened with frightening frequency over the past couple years.
Although it's sorcery-slow, the value it reaps off of other cards in your deck and your opponent's is enormous. Unlike Ashen Powder or some of the other black reanimator spells, it doesn't just target a specific graveyard, and it's liable to be cast multiple times in a game. This ability has actually saved me from milling myself out, which has happened with frightening frequency over the past couple years.
There's not many bad things I can say about this Beacon. It's truly a powerful card in our format, and it has several of the qualities I look for when I'm trying to build decks and play cards.
And now for possibly the worst of the set.
I haven't played this one, but I've considered it. I play Red Sun's Zenith in Heartless Hidetsugu, and it is excellent.
The problem with this card is that that it's a product of both the pre-Commander era and "fairness."
Five damage for 5 at instant speed is just a little too basic, and it doesn't hit the primary threats in the format- the Titan archetype, a 6/6 for six.
Would it be unfair if it was 6 damage for five? Probably. In 20 life formats, that doesn't compute well with the even-keel design and players. We already have a designated "Bolt Range." This might have been taking it too far.
So Beacon of Destruction is sort of a product of itself, and at a design impasse where R&D has consistently stood on the conservative side of the room, avoiding the firestorm, which is fine, if they believe that the game they design is fair.
I haven't played this one, but I've considered it. I play Red Sun's Zenith in Heartless Hidetsugu, and it is excellent.
The problem with this card is that that it's a product of both the pre-Commander era and "fairness."
Five damage for 5 at instant speed is just a little too basic, and it doesn't hit the primary threats in the format- the Titan archetype, a 6/6 for six.
Would it be unfair if it was 6 damage for five? Probably. In 20 life formats, that doesn't compute well with the even-keel design and players. We already have a designated "Bolt Range." This might have been taking it too far.
So Beacon of Destruction is sort of a product of itself, and at a design impasse where R&D has consistently stood on the conservative side of the room, avoiding the firestorm, which is fine, if they believe that the game they design is fair.
Our last one has me befuddled as well. Combined with its aggressive cost (versus the other pieces of Bacon in this cycle), the ability of BoC to scale to the game makes it much more playable in mono-Green Commander. Azusa and Omnath both can quickly turn this into incredible power, and when combined with Doubling Season and Primal Vigor, well the number of Insects can, "go to Jupiter and get more stupider."
I like BoC, but I've cut it from a lot of my decks, so I can see why it might be a hair above Beacon of Destruction.
Still, this is a lot of tokens to Skullclamp.
That's all I've got for now. Be sure to share your thoughts on these in the comments below, and if you haven't played them, save them from being extinct- BRING THEM BACK FROM THE BRINK!
Pass.
Pass.
-UL
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