Enchant Your Commander: Oathbreaker Accessories
The March of the Machine pre-constructed commander decks provided us with some new toys: Aura spells specifically for planeswalkers. Let’s take a gander:
Working from light to dark, let's start with the White enchantment, Elspeth’s Talent: {2}{W}{W}
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant planeswalker
Enchanted planeswalker has “[+1]: Create three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens.”
Whenever you activate a loyalty ability of enchanted planeswalker, creatures you control get +2/+2 and gain vigilance until end of turn.
In an Mono-White stack, especially soldiers, this can be that extra pump they need to get through the red zone. White loves making tokens, and being able to just +1 and get three more, can be huge value. Throw in a Wedding Announcement and I think we both can see how out of control this can get. Plus, creatures like Mondrak will make that three into six! Overwhelming can become an understatement very quickly with all those creatures gaining vigilance as well. Elspeth’s Talent can be just the boost your white-weenie deck needs to take you over the top.
Next is Blue, Teferi’s Talent: {3}{U}{U}
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant planeswalker
Enchanted planeswalker has “[−12]: You get an emblem with ‘You may activate loyalty abilities of planeswalkers you control on any player’s turn any time you could cast an instant.’”
Whenever you draw a card, put a loyalty counter on enchanted planeswalker.
Blue loves card draw, and if you do that often, you can just activate your planeswalker on anyone’s turn. With Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim, create a spirit who gets a +1/+1 counter every time you draw a card. I see blue mages being even more annoying once they can activate abilities on your turn, as well. I’ll have you know, I’m blue mages. I’m annoying. I’ve already added this to my cart on TCGPlayer.
Red, which I’m not sure is the correct choice in this color order, gives us all the spice with Rowan’s Talent: {2}{R}{R}
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant planeswalker
Enchanted planeswalker has “[+1]: Up to one target creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike and trample until end of turn.”
Whenever you activate a loyalty ability of enchanted planeswalker, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Red comes in hot, doubling activated abilities like it’s nothing. Chandra adding four {R} with her +1 is enough to make any opponent target you for the rest of the game, and the next one. Maybe you decide to use Koth’s -3 ability and deal damage equal to the number of mountains you control? Sure, if you don’t value your life total. I say, “Full send”, get you one! You don’t need your play group anyway. That’s what Spelltable is for. Oh, and let’s not forget, you can also give a creature first strike and trample. But honestly, we’re just here for the copy effect. Don’t worry, I don’t judge.
If there’s one color that needs help in multiplayer formats, it’s green. Check out what Vivien’s Talent says: {1}{G}{G}
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant planeswalker
Enchanted planeswalker has “[+1]: Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.”
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a loyalty counter on enchanted planeswalker.
Vivien let’s you dig a bit deeper in the library to find that Craterhoof Behemoth or Voranclex or whatever ridiculous monstrosity you’re playing. Then when you cast that spell, your planeswalker gets another loyalty counter. OP? Probably. Allowing green to do more than the color should? At this point, what should green do anymore? Green has card draw, haste, vigilance, ramp, why not let it scry too? Go get one. You know you want to.
Last, most certainly in the order of colors at least, is black. And it does exactly what you’d expect a black planeswalker to do. Liliana’s Talent: {B}{B}
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant planeswalker
Enchanted planeswalker has “[−8]: Put all creature cards from all graveyards onto the battlefield under your control.”
Whenever a creature deals damage to enchanted planeswalker, destroy that creature.
With the lowest CMC, that secondary ability is nice. No one is going to want to attack your Oathbreaker knowing that it essentially has deathtouch. Costing only {B}{B} is unbelievable considering that you’re pretty much untouchable, and you can just -8 and get all creatures back on the battlefield under your control. My take: play in dimir colors, use Teferi and Liliana’s Talent, ramp your loyalty, have a milling signature spell, then -8. Kill your friends with their own toys!
So, there you have it folks. All the new planeswalker enchantments. If I had to rank them all I’d say black takes the win on this one. The CMC, the possibilities, the ultimate is all too much to pass up. It’s also in my cart to go with my Kaya, Geist Hunter deck. What’s your favorite? Let me know what you think. Until next time back stabbers.
