Today I'm serving up an order for the Magic's Masters of the Multiverse and Leading Leaders in Loyalty Counters. I've got ten on the plate, so let's get cracking.
10. Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Nico B is at the forefront of most of these constructed decks, and almost always slotted into 5-color decks because it covers everything on the table with its two abilities.
Short of Karn Liberated, and the as-yet-to-be-determined new Garruk, there are few P-Dubs that can really impact a board state when you're down and get you back into it. Though more expensive, I liken these cards to Umezawa's Jitte in this way.
This is the altered work from Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas, which I like quite a bit more than the prints from Conflux and m13. They look more like a monument to Magic's most evil than a portrait of the living thing. And this art, well, it looks like he had it commissioned to put up in his living room, you know, where he reads all the books (See original Nicol Bolas).
9. Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Our third, hero-emerging Elspeth hardly comes out in my group anymore without an "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" allusion, because let's face it- She is the master of Karate and Friendship, for everyone. Just ask Ajani.
Though my appreciation for Knight-Errant is awesome, she's just too easy to like. With more token and Wrath power, this Elspeth has been more up my alley. I've enjoyed the times I've casted her, because in multiplayer, she's proven to keep herself alive for at least a couple turns with both abilities.
Now that the whole Theros block is over and done with, this art takes on new meaning, as we now know what the Godsend is- but how is she holding it before we know? How does she have it before he gets it?
8. Liliana of the Dark Realms
She doesn't do much like Original Vess. She isn't aggressive, like when she has the Veil. But she's hella effective.
This is one of the best printings that have happened for mono-Black in the format, and could happen. Having recurrable access to Swamps ensures that you're going to get to at least 6 Swamps for Grave Titan, and you don't have to worry about drawing lands for the next 2-3 turns.
While I'm not excited about her hair looking like a batwing, the art doesn't matter when you get to have a non-color-pie advantage.
7. Karn Liberated
Like Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, P-Dub Karn has the power to walk into a game and help you crawl out of it, should you fall behind.
Unlike Nicol B, Karn's penchant for justice and colorless mana makes him twice as dangerous. He can go in any deck and instantly improve it, and handle all those Indestructible threats. And he does all this while gaining you life, forcing your opponents to commit damage to him, hoping that you won't start the game over again.
I like Karn. I tend to slot my copies into decks that really need the help, and happen to have a few other P-dubs hanging around. It's a fantastic card, with a pretty nifty design, and I don't like blindly throwing good cards into decks for the sake of themselves. That's foolish.
6. Garruk Wildspeaker
Being more sentimental, he's one of my favorite Planeswalkers, not only because he's simple, but also because he does everything Green needs him to do- Ramp, Make a Dude, Make Dudes Bigger. Pure elegance for a wildman.
I've picked the Duel Decks artwork because it is my first copy of Garruk, and I played the crap out of it. I still do.
Untapping two lands is often gross. Combined with Gaea's Cradle, Nykthos, and potentially Deserted Temple, you're looking at insane value.
Mostly, I prefer to cast him at 5 so I untap and Kodama's Reach. That's my favorite piece of value.
5. Chandra Ablaze
Mostly, it's for the card draw. This is an easy advantage to get in Red, and it hurts the whole table because if they are seasoned Commander players, they have their turns planned before it rolls around back to them.
I've also used her +1 ability in conjunction with Squee, and other nonsense things I play in Red, simply because Red decks generally need spellshaping outlets to help it maintain consistency. There are just too many effects that it can't do regularly.
4. Gideon Jura
Access to all three of his abilities make him innately powerful. Add to that a plus ability to control your opponent's combat step, and you've got yourself a stew going.
He attacks, he protects himself, he controls your opponent's creatures- I'm shocked I don't see more of him at the table.
Between Gideon, Sarkhan the Mad, and Jace TMS, I think people can clearly see where Magic had to transform what it meant to be a planeswalker. Not that Sarkhan the Second was good, I just believe that they decided some of the experiments on these guys made them a little too good.
3. Tezzeret the Seeker
Tezzeret is #3 here because I do so many cool things with the second ability.
The most notable is a tutor for 0 to go get Seat of the Synod or Darksteel Citadel. Have you ever wanted blue ramp? Well, this is how we turn our Tezzeret into a Liliana of the Dark Realms.
Once we have the lands, he's a Garruk Wildspeaker. The more colors in the deck, the merrier. I'll play artifact lands for days.
Generally, I keep the costs of my cards lower, but with Tezz, the best strategy is to keep all your relevant artifacts less than 3 if you can, thereby "idiot-proofing" your tutor, and keeping up your Tezzeret so they have to attack into it. There is no reason to sacrifice your planeswalker, even for a Solemn Simulacrum (need I remind you Pilgrim's Eye is also a slightly better game off Tezz), if you don't have to. So don't be silly.
2. Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Which really, matches the card. Like most planeswalkers, her ultimate is a bit of a pipe dream, but the beauty of that ultimate is that every card that goes to the graveyard and comes back to your hand will be useful.
Moving upwards, her ability to stall out creatures and use that to further the card advantage makes her incredible value.
1. Garruk, Primal Hunter
The other two abilities are weird and theme-y. I guess my one criticism of this card is that you're taking Garruk up by making tokens to go off with-- more tokens? I'm not particularly excited about that, but the card draw more than makes up for it.
Anyway, that's all I got for today. Be sure to vote on today's poll.
Pass.
-UL
Who's your favorite planeswalker?
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