It is fair to say that The Hobbit, Magic's new Middle-earth expansion, will not shape the format the way its predecessor, The Lord of the Rings, did. The set, besides having a reduced size of 193 cards, was designed with Standard in mind, and although some cards commonly impact Modern as well, most do not compare to that power level.Below, we present the main highlights from The Hobbit for Modern. Green, multicolored, artifact, or land cards do not seem to have significant qualities in this set to warrant a mention, and even some of the options we have chosen in the other colors may never see competitive play in the current Metagame.I am not entirely confident that Bilbo's Gambit is a game changer for Modern, but it is possible it proves to be the set's best card. Unlike Reprieve, the spell does not offer a delay, but rather something a bit better in current Magic design: a full turn cycle.Modern is a very explosive format. Sometimes, letting the opponent sequence two or more spells is the difference between them establishing an unbeatable board or losing the game because they wasted a turn "doing nothing." Bilbo's Gambit offers the second option and could complement Orim's Chant or even take its place in Sideboards of lists that require a more reactive form of protection.Kili the Resourceful looks like a Puresteel Paladin with extra steps and is easier to cast with an Urza's Saga hand. It could serve as complementary copies of it in Hammer Time, but I am more interested in how this card can help the archetype in Pioneer rather than its ability to see play in Modern.Looting every turn in white with an easy condition to enable against practically any matchup in the format, which can also trade a useless card for a 1/1, should not be underestimated. The 2/1 body of The Queen of Dale is easy prey for Orcish Bowmasters, but that did not stop Loki, God of Mischief from finding a home, and I do not believe it will stop this one either.I am more interested in how we can take advantage of the graveyard cost reduction on Bilbo, Thief in the Night than in his Dreadhorde Arcanist ability, although some Dimir Tempo lists or some Izzet variants could make use of reusing spells every turn.Activated abilities are quite common in creature‑based combo archetypes in Modern, and some of them have easy access to blue or already run splashes in that color for other cards. Having a "draw 2" each turn cycle can make a big difference.Most Decrepit Old Bird is a name that is too long and complicated for a card, especially for a one‑drop with competitive potential. At this point, a 2/2 for is not a big deal, but fueling the graveyard for Dragon's Rage Channeler and/or Murktide Regent while also replacing itself in hand and providing a body on board for the following turn could be a differentiator for Tempo decks.Izzet Wizards is a viable archetype in Modern, and some cards can get out of control rapidly if they stay alive and equipped with Wizard's Staff. In a vacuum, the artifact does nothing and is probably too win more for the archetypes interested in it. It will likely only see play in Historic.Along the Crooked Way joins the numerous infinite loop options with Yawgmoth, Thran Physician and Young Wolf. It is likely win‑more, and cards like Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER or Insidious Roots already do what it does, but better.The Sackville-Bagginses interact relatively well with the Samwise Combo and other archetypes with recurring token interactions. They might deserve testing, but they do not seem like the kind of card that would become a staple.Perhaps a half‑Expressive Iteration with a body could find a home for Gandalf, Goblins' Bane, since it can fuel its own resources to grow and increase reach. It does not seem like a Prowess card, but rather a relatively versatile addition in Wizards lists that want a complementary win condition without losing card advantage sources.Wrapping UpThat's all for today!If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!Thanks for reading!
Reactions
0
0 Comments
Be the first to comment