Legacy: Marvel Super Heroes Review

Greetings, Legacy community! It's time to explore another Marvel set. The last time we did this, the new cards didn't perform all that well, at least in Legacy. No card in that set managed to be playable in this format.

This set is bigger, though, and, theoretically, less "rushed". Will Marvel Super Heroes leave its mark on Legacy? Let's take a look.

As usual, our house judge covered all the new mechanics in this article.

Namely, this means Power-Up and Teamwork.

Power-Up resembles Monstrosity, but you can also discount its cost by the card's mana cost if you activate this ability on the same turn that card entered play.

Teamwork is like Kicker. The extra cost is tapping creatures with power equal to or higher than the Teamwork cost.

Some mechanics are also coming back: Connive, Double-Faced cards, and Harness, besides, as usual, a few mechanics centered around Commander cards.

That being said, let's see some cards.

White

Jennifer Walters

Overall, I believe Voice of Victory is better than Jennifer, but I can see two situations she can see play. The first is when you want more than just 4 effects that prevent opponents from playing spells on your turn, and the second is when you're already playing green cards in Energy lists to access Gaddock Teeg. You can use Jennifer both to do what Voice already does naturally or just to have another threat in the late game.

Night Nurse, Healer of Heroes

Nurse is apparently an upgraded Samwise the Stouthearted. You'll swap Tempted by the Ring, which is rarely relevant, for Lifelink and an upgraded return ability. While Sam only returns permanents that went to the graveyard from the battlefield, Nurse can return cards that ended up discarded or milled.

Political Triumph

I might be giving myself too much credit, but this card seems very interesting in decks that can create several tokens. Alongside even just one Voice of Victory, you'll progress your game plan and filter your next draws.

The most important detail about this enchantment is that when it finally gives you counters, it'll return your investment by drawing a card.

The Sentry, Golden Guardian

Sentry is very difficult to deal with for a threat, as not all decks can deal with an indestructible card. Unfortunately, the opponent will also get their own version of a 5/5 indestructible creature. But white or blue decks will be able to deal with this creature a lot more easily with cards like Swords to Plowshares, Prismatic Ending, Boomerang Basics, or Brazen Borrower.

Blue

Attuma, Atlantean Warlord

Out of context, a 4-mana Lord doesn't seem to be what the traditional Merfolk list needs, but that's not what I see it doing in the archetype. Instead, it will be an end of the curve card that allows you to get some of your investment in cards back, which this list struggles to do. So, Attuma will offer something this deck is interested in and something this deck actively uses: global effects that buff your Merfolk.

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor is another addition to Merfolk decks. It also hits pretty hard and expands your board as you do what this deck already does naturally: Force of Will, Daze, Force of Negation.

Black

Black Widow, Super Spy

Does a worse Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer have a chance in Legacy? I believe costing twice as much mana and being vulnerable to Orcish Bowmasters deems this unlikely.

Construct a Cosmic Cube

After a long time in limbo, Dimir Control has been showing up again. This enchantment is two win conditions in one, as well as cheap. As you do what this deck already does (draw cards), you'll expand your board, which will protect you and allow you to go on the offensive. All of this definitely adds up, and, as such, this effect essentially ends the game as soon as it resolves.

I believe this card might be this set's Sleeper (cards that don't stand out at first but end up being relevant).

Elektra, Daughter of the Hand

The Ninja archetype shows up occasionally in Legacy, and Elektra offers an interesting variation: she does something as soon as she enters play, not when she deals damage in combat. So she can create extra value if you return her to your hand with your other Ninjas.

Swordsman, Sharp Scoundrel

Hammertime has been a bit unpopular lately, but Swordsman might breathe some new life into it. It is another effect that equips Colossus Hammer, and for less than Forge Anew. One mana makes a huge difference in Legacy.

Ultimo, Civilization’s End

This card puts itself in the graveyard, kills a creature, and takes down another if you reanimate it. It might not be much, but I believe we can definitely find a place for it.

Red

Avengers Disassembled

Brotherhood’s End shows up in sideboards as a way to deal with full boards, and it eventually does something else against artifact decks. If its second effect, which destroys a land, turns out to be more practical (which we should consider as a possibility, considering Trini Tron sees play), this card could replace Brotherhood's End.

Daredevil, Fearless Fighter

This hero costs 2 colorless mana and 1 red mana, so it is obviously a consideration for Red Stompy. Its effect is interesting, as it puts pressure on the game by not just exiling a card but by also activating Ancient Tomb. When you add everything up, though, I believe it is worse than Laelia, the Blade Reforged, which has barely seen play in this archetype.

Hawkeye, Master Marksman

Hawkeye is an excellent way to spend extra mana because it can attack uncontested, filter dead cards, and also deal extra damage. I believe it is worth a thought in decks like Red Stompy.

Hex Magic

In combo decks that want to play many spells on the same turn, Hex Magic will basically double all cards in your hand as soon as you play your combo.

Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor

Mjölnir is both a way to clear the board that you can tutor with Stoneforge Mystic and an occasional removal that you can also equip to Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd to set up stronger attacks or exile it and return it for another round.

Green

Call Damage Control

Cards that cost 2 mana and return other cards from the graveyard have been a thing since the original, Regrowth. Now, cards that cost that much mana that return 2 or more cards are a bit more unusual. The best example is Life from the Loam.

This one creates a decent amount of value because you'll almost certainly get a land from the graveyard (Wasteland or a fetch land), and then the only question remaining is the second target. It might not find space because Flow State is usually the best option, but it's a consideration for the future, particularly in Temur Delver.

Hit-Monkey

This Monkey friend is an uncounterable True-Name Nemesis for decks without blue. I hardly believe there is a market for that right now.

Mole Man, Moloid Master

This ability can see play in Legacy, as Ramunap Excavator shows up in a few decks. What you need to consider is whether a 1/1 body, vulnerable to Orcish Bowmasters, makes up for creating Moloids, which can be quite useful. I believe it's worth a try.

White Tiger, Amulet Keeper

This card is another way to get Explore from the graveyard, which is a bonus that Life from the Loam decks can be interested in.

Multicolored

King T’Challa

We covered T'Challa on another article. Both of its sides have potential in control decks.

Thanos, the Mad Titan

If you don't consider Thanos' power-up, he is almost always worse than Barrowgoyf, and even in decks that can activate him, this card will rarely be better than the black Lhurgoyf.

The Ruinous Wrecking Crew

This card is super versatile. You can always find a way to use it and still leave a relevant body behind. All we need now is find a deck that can use it, but there are a few Rakdos-leaning versions of the MonoBlack lists that are seeing play in the format that could take it.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings

Shan-Chi can grow quite a lot and quite fast, particularly with Brainstorm. Can we find a deck for it, though?

Artifact

Panther Robot

Can Affinity create enough artifacts to make this Panther free of charge?

The Fantasticar

Fantasticar is already standing out in the Vintage community. There, four 4/4s attacking on turn 1 is a very real possibility when you pair it with Mishra's Workshop. Legacy isn't nearly as explosive, but Affinity will be able to play and trigger this Vehicle on the same turn, and it will put a lot of pressure on the opponent this way. There aren't many global removals in Legacy, and these Constructs are not easy to remove.

Land

Castle Doom

This castle creates colored mana for blue artifacts and can, in long matches, turn useless artifacts into Doombots. It's worth a thought.

As this set centers heavily around creatures (look at how many legendary creatures are in it), it doesn't have that much potential in Legacy. I don't believe it will be as bad as Spider-Man, but I can't see a lot in it that can shake up Legacy.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!