The latest Magic: The Gathering set is on its approach in simply a few weeks (prerelease begins per week from Friday, so go join occasions at your native sport retailer). Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate returns the sport to the setting of Dungeons & Dragons and the Forgotten Realms, however because it says within the identify, the set focuses on an essential location in video video games in addition to tabletop adventures, Baldur’s Gate. Last week, we posted a rundown of the set and its mechanics, so try that story to get the lowdown on the brand new and returning mechanics.
Wizards of the Coast has graciously allowed us to preview one of many playing cards coming with this set, and this creature might want the entire big-brain performs you possibly can muster. Take a have a look at Intellect Devourer.
This creepy fellow will do its greatest to be sure you at all times have a play to make after slamming this 2/4 horror into play for 3B, and you do not even must dig by way of your individual deck. Intellect Devourer exiles a card from every opponent’s hand (of their selecting) till Intellect Devourer leaves the battlefield. Then, you possibly can play lands or spells from amongst these exiled playing cards and spend mana as if it have been of any shade to solid them. You could not get the perfect of what every participant is holding, however this creature can provide tons of worth to you in the suitable deck whereas turning into a significant annoyance to the remainder of the desk.
Naturally, Intellect Devourer suits into decks that care about taking part in spells you do not personal or management. Battle for Baldur’s Gate already has an excellent Commander for this theme with Tasha, the Witch Queen, a Planeswalker that rewards you with 3/3 fliers any time you solid another person’s spell. Tasha additionally steals spells from an opponent’s graveyard, which can work splendidly with Intellect Devourer as a result of the spells exiled and solid with it are going straight into its proprietor’s bin after you are performed with them.
To maintain the hand-stealing of Intellect Devourer going sturdy for a number of turns in a Tasha deck, would possibly I recommend a duplicate of Thassa, Deep-Dwelling? Thassa can exile and return as much as one creature you management to the battlefield (additionally below your management) on the finish of your flip. Blinking Intellect Devourer on this approach basically refills your hand simply in time to your opponent’s turns. You may also work some enjoyable political performs with allies by having them offer you their elimination spells, land drops, or creatures to solid that will profit the truce you have constructed. Be cautious with Thassa’s blinking, although, as Intellect Devourer particularly says it exiles playing cards till it leaves the battlefield, that means as soon as Intellect Devourer is blinked by Thassa, these stolen playing cards return to the proprietor’s palms in the event that they weren’t used. Make positive you have performed and solid as a lot as potential earlier than restocking your provide of swiped spells.
Those are simply a few use instances for this brainy horror that is positive to trigger some frustration in any Commander playgroup if utilized in the suitable approach. If you will have any devious concepts on methods to use Intellect Devourer to its fullest, let me know within the feedback under.
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate is a completely draftable Commander-focused set that releases in paper on June 10, with prerelease occasions beginning on June 3 at collaborating WPN sport shops. If you are seeking to play digitally, Battle for Baldur’s Gate will be drafted on Magic Online on June 10, whereas MTG Arena may even get in on the Baldur’s Gate enjoyable with an injection of playing cards within the Alchemy and Historic codecs on July 7.
