Kaladesh Remastered and the Historic

Kaladesh Remastered will be released on November 12th for Historic. Just like Amonkhet Remastered, this set brings together many cards from Kaladesh block in only one set, and are legal only on Historic.

Amonkhet Remastered brought us many staples that see play in Standard, and some that see play in Pioneer, such as Soul-Scar Mage, Hazoret the Fervent, Claim // Fame, God-Pharaoh's Gift; and powerful reprints, such as Thoughtseize and Collected Company that defined the format.

However, Kaladesh Remastered doesn't seem to have any reprint that is outside the block, besides Sculpting Steel, which was in the set as a Masterpiece so far.

This colorless decklist tries to take advantage of Forsaken Monument to generate an absurd amount of mana, have access to a great number of cards with Karn, the Great Creator and finish the game with Ugin, The Spirit Dragon and Ulamog, The Ceaseless Hunger.

There are many variables on the list, that usually splash a specific color like green or blue.

I'm not sure if it will be possible to make the deck go beyond Tier 2.5 where it belongs, but the players will certainly have a lot to try on the next few weeks.

Another important factor to remind us that all of the Energy Deck's cards will be present on the new set.

Energy didn't have any impact on Pioneer recently, and I'm not sure if it is capable of having impact in a format where it needs to compete against Muxus, Goblin Grandee, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath or Burning-Tree Emissary.

Another deck that used to see the energy base and was banned on Standard, is back: Aetherworks Marvel. It may look something like this:

The Aetherworks decks was one of the biggest promise on Pioneer, but it ended up not making it. This archetype may have some success on Historic, especially on Bo1.

Apart from that, most part of Mardu Vehicles is present:

However, without one of its main cards, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, and with no good replacements, I can't imagine this deck being viable in the format today.

Still, I confess, I would be glad to see it in the competitive scene, because Mardu Vehicles was the first deck that I used to play tournaments when I got back to playing on 2017 and had lots of fun with the deck back then. If it wasn't for the fact that it demands about 30 rare wildcards, I would build it again just for the nostalgia.

An archetype that existed on Kaladesh and got some additions on recent sets was the Counter Archetype, that in this set had cards like Winding Constrictor, Rishkar, Peema Renegade and Verdurous Gearhulk.

Maybe an Abzan version, or a GW with a black splash by adding Winding Constrictor might now be possible:

About what is not present, there are absent cards that could be easily broken, and are also banned from Pioneer, such as Walking Ballista, Felidar Guardian and Smuggler's Copter.

They seem like obvious choices, as they are cards that would easily polarize and break the format, bringing more bans.

About the cards that may impact the format or must be brought to attention on this set:

Authority of the Consuls can have a great impact on the format, and it could be an really possible maindeck card on Bo1, where the amount of Aggro decks tends to be bigger.

On Bo3, Authority may easily be on the sideboard of white decks as a mechanism against Goblins, Mono Red or Gruul Aggro, which returned to its Tier 1 position thanks to the unbanning of Burning-Tree Emissary and that it seems to be bringing back UWx Control decks on the meta.

Finally, the card is also a great addition on Mono White Lifegain, usually found in all Bo1 ranks, as it works as a life gain mechanism, a way of delaying blockers and a hard devotion to remove for Heliod, the Sun-Crowned.

Just like Authority of the Consuls, the white Gearhulk can be another alternative to hold more aggressive matches, allowing permanents that you need to be on the battlefield, such as other creatures and Planeswalkers.

Even so, the card may not be that impacting, as Wrath of God is on the format and it's not that beneficial to blink with Yorion, Sky Nomad.

Besides Witch's Oven, few decks use artifacts or enchantments that you would like to use and that can be affected by Fragmentize, but it's an important addition and it's essential for the format's health in the long term.

I'm not sure if a white version using Refurbish to bring back God-Pharaoh's Gift is better than the current mono black version, consistently speaking.

But having another way to access the best card of your deck, and maybe, have best answers for specific occasions may be worth to add white to the deck, since the manabase, which now includes Concealed Courtyard, easily allows the splash.

Besides that, there are no artifacts right now that are worth to reanimate for 4 mana.

If the theory above becomes true, Angel of Invention is still a great creature to reanimate with God-Pharaoh's Gift.

Sram is a great addition on the Aura deck, as we can see on Pioneer.

The Historic's version, usually UW, also includes Kor Spiritdancer, totalizing 8 creatures that draw cards by using their Auras, and this way, allowing the deck to almost never run out of gas.

Auras is already a popular deck on Historic, especially on Bo1, and I believe that Sram's addition will make it even better.

And now... There is only Ethereal Armor left.

I don't see this card having a big impact yet, but it's the kind of effect that may always be abused in some moment.

Some control lists use Neutralize and Absorb as one of their main counters. Disallowseems like a better option for those decks, since it counters abilities in general, being a more flexible option with more usability in many matches.

I don't see an occasion where this card has a home on the format, but just like Baral, it's important to know that it is present on the set.

It might be functional in some way, with the card Underworld Breach?

Big bad boy is back.

The Blue Gearhulk was by far one of the most important cards when Kaladesh was valid on Standard, and it sure may see some games such as 2-of or in the format's Control decks, because it creates a giant clock and it's hard to remove while answering an opponent's move.

It's worth to mention here that Torrential Gearhulk has a combo with Sublime Epiphany.

In the beginning of the article, I mentioned how the artifact decks benefit from this set. Whir of Invention seems like the type of card that makes a blue splash valid in this type of deck, as it can search for any Silver Bullet or finisher that you need.

With the unban of Burning-Tree Emissary the format got quicker, and Fatal Push's print is a great wat of the slower decks keep themselves in the match and hold the first wave of aggression.

Fatal Push's inclusion may also make more decks to adopt the use of Fabled Passage or even Evolving Wilds as a way of having more access to Revolt. But, decks that naturally remove things out of the game such as Rakdos Arcanist or Jund Sacrifice will be the ones that will use the card more efficiently.

Fatal Push will be a Staple. Spend your wildcards on it if you intend to play Historic.

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner is a kind of a slow card advantage for a format that has Phyrexian Arena, but being an aggressive 2-drop with evasion may help a lot for its presence on the format.

Siphoner may also see some games on Energy Decks, on decks with Winding Constrictor and on Control decks' sideboard, as it was done on Standard.

It seems doubtful that the Black Gearhulk's cost compensates its effect on the format right now, because it competes with effectively better cards such as Massacre Wurm.

That doesn't stop some copies of being used as a test somewhere like Mono Black GPG though.

Being a sac outlet and a threat that is hard to remove, Yahenni, Undying Partisan can be pondered on Sacrifice decks, but it's competing on the 3rd slot with cards that are essentially better on what the deck is supposed to do, such as Woe Strider e Mayhem Devil.

The greatest disadvantage of this card compared to Languish is not killing Questing Beast or a Gruul Spellbreaker with counters, what is a really important point, as the best Aggro in the format today is the Gruul.

Chandra, Torch of Defiance is still one of the best Planeswalkers ever made, and it will surely see some games on the 75 of some decks like clock and the constant card advantage engine and acceleration that it has always been.

Chandra alone allows Aggro decks to be capable of grinding games, rewards red decks for playing a longer and Midrange faced games and it also works as another great cards to Control decks like Superfriends, because it's a Card Avantage, a removal, an accelerator and a finisher in only one card.

Kari Zev has seen many games on its Standard time, but I'm not sure if the same can be done on Historic, as today it competes against cards like Runaway Steam-Kin, Robber of the Rich, Viashino Pyromancer and Burning-Tree Emissary.

Blossoming Defense may be of great use not only for the aggressive decks but also for the Slesnya version of Auras and as one more way of protection besides Karametra's Blessing or Alseid of Life's Bounty and Selfless Savior.

This Nissa competes against Nissa, Who Shakes the World, which is better in practically every occasion. Maybe it has some space in some sideboard, but it's not likely to be on matches.

Besides its obvious interaction with decks with +1/+1 counters, the green Gearhulk may exponentially rise its power on the battlefield, and has a really good interaction with Yorion, Sky Nomad. It may see matches in other ramp or midrange decks that try to abuse this interaction.

Two cards: Cauldron Familiar + Witch's Oven

Kambal is a great card to punish decks that use many non-creature spells in one turn.

The format lacks a deck like this today, but it's but it's important for the format that this card is in it as a hate valve for the moment when it's viable.

Besides there is no combo with Felidar Guardian(gladly), Saheeli's ability to copy creatures or artifacts was occasionally useful on Standard by copying Glorybringer or Bristling Hydra.

Saheeli was never really impacting without her combo, and I don't know if it will change on Historic.

Honestly, I would prefer that Saheeli was removed and Felidar Guardian was left in, because it has funnier interactions in the format, but they obviously wouldn't remove the character who literally heads the product's image.

I confess being really curious about how we can break this card in the format.

There are options that include the artifact as a win condition on Kethis Combo (that practically died with Teferi, Time Taveler's ban) or the use of cards with 0 or X cost with Song of Creation to make its own storm.

Harvester served as a great "Aggro holder" in its life on Standard, and may have the same purpose on Historic, as it can favorably change against most of Gruul's creatures, survives most of the others and still gains life in the process.

The little Bomat was one of the main staples on RB Aggro, which was the best Standard deck in 2018, but it doesn't see a lot of games in some Pioneer and Modern lists.

With an aggressive 1-drop that creates a snowball effect in case it isn't answered in a few turns, I believe Bomat can see some games in the format.

With practically all of RG Pummeler's base intact, and the addition of Thud and Infuriate, I can picture players building a deck around trying to "free-win" by using a Fling effect on a 20/20 Pummeler.

Another Standard staple, today, Heart of Kiran only sees game in some Gx Stompy lists on Pioneer.

The vehicle's capability to serve not only for Creatures but also with Planeswalkers may give more flexibility on its use on Historic, as Superfriends decks may benefit from it, while some of the main creatures in the format can easily crew it.

With the absence of Teferi, Time Raveler, Hope of Ghirapur is the closest to avoid interactions on the required turn on combo decks.

Sadly, waiting a turn to finish the combo and practically announcing that you can do the combo in return may be a problem that makes this card less relevant than it could potentially be.

The card can see a sideboard on Gruul or on green decks as a way of playing better in long matches, but it's already competing against other cards such as Chandra, Torch of Defiance or Klothys, God of Destiny.

The biggest problem with Metallic Mimic is that it's not the kind of creature that you want until it enters the battlefield. Soon, it can't be put in game with Muxus, Goblin Grandee. Finding its own space on an Elves or Vampires deck is only what's left for the Mimic.

Another addition to Colorless Golos, the Colossus may see some game as a win condition that can be played for free (almost) and that can easily be recurred in case it's destroyed.

At least 1 may serve on the side on the tutor deck with Karn, The Great Creator.

We are exactly 2 cards away ( Bloodsoaked Champion e Khalitas, Traitor of Geth of having the same creatures from Pioneer on Historic. Scrounger saw and still sees a lot of game on Pioneer as an aggressive 2-drop that you can use to recover after a board wipe, for instance.

Today, the variables on Mono Black use God-Pharaoh's Gift that maybe get advantage of the recursion of Scrapheap Scrounger, or work based on the Devotion mechanic, in which the creature doesn't fit well.

Sadly, the other deck where the card could be used, it competes graveyard slots with Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger.

However, it's possible that, with one more Pioneer's creature coming to Historic, a more aggresive variety of Mono Black or Black Aggro in general comes to life.

The enemy Fast-Lands cycle ( Concealed Courtyard, Blooming Marsh, Botanical Sanctum, Inspiring Vantage and Spirebluff Canal ) are available in the set, and will be a great addition to the color stability in a format that usualw has a mana base that rewards midrange or multicolored ramp decks, but ends up not satisfying dual color aggressive decks.

Sadly, we don't have the ally colors cycle in this set, where some of the main current decks benefit a lot from them. Maybe in the future, some product or even an Historic Anthology bring those cards to the meta and closes the cycle.

Another card that it really serves Colorless Golo and may help a bit in the so mediocre match against aggros, besides serving on midgame to look for the artifact that you need in the match. Including the Nun, the deck has a total of three tutors among Whir of Invention, Karn, the Great Creator and the land.

Adding colors to an artifact decks becomes more viable when you have access to a land that allows you to use every color and still generates colorless for Forsaken Monument.

Spire of Industry may also see games in more aggressive decks that use vehicles, or cards like Bomat Courier and Scrapheap Scrounger.

And here my Kaladesh Remastered review for Historic comes to an end.

Sadly, the set lacks in terms of well known staples outside the cards that in the block, which is different from Amonkhet Remastered.

Yet, the set seems to have cards with enough potential to impactate the format in a positive, non-oppressive way.

As a final verdict, besides the pre order pack, that has 10 boosters and 3 Draft packs for US$30,00, I wouldn't recommend spending your coins or gems with Kaladesh Remastered, because the set has a big amount of cards, especially rares, that won't be useful outside besides growing your set.

Your best option is trying to grind drafts, or open other set's boosters and use the wildcards for the Kaladesh's cards you need.

Next week, I'll be reviewing Commander Legends for Pauper!