Explorer - Phyrexia: All Will be One Spoilers Review!

The new set Phyrexia: All Will Be One {ONE} will bring new mechanics and powerful cards related to the fearsome Phyrexians.

Could this new set impact Explorer? I'll try to answer that question below, analyzing the most interesting cards for the format.

There's no way to talk about Phyrexia without talking about the characters that represent this set and their powerful cards. In addition to reprints of the four Praetors, ONE revealed Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines.

The mother of machines returns in a Standard set and can provide very interesting interactions in Mono-Green Nykthos. Imagine being able to trigger Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner's ability twice and draw two cards. For Mono-Green it's not a difficult task to generate the mana needed to cast Mother of Machines, and it can easily enter the deck.

Another card that synergizes with Elesh is Omnath, Locus of Creation, which tends to run in Elemental or Goodstuff decks that also have a lot of ramp and can make good use of Elesh Norn.

It is also worth highlighting the second ability of the card, which can counter any other deck that uses interactions with ETB abilities.

This creature got me quite excited, as well as others that I will mention in this article because its ability could make a Hammer Time viable. Being a legend might be a drawback in a way, but Kemba, Kha Enduring can well fulfill the role that Puresteel Paladin plays in Modern.

This card, in addition to serving as a kind of lord in the deck, can also populate the table and play with equipment on the field.

Perhaps a six-mana planeswalker might seem slow, but entering the battlefield with power to clear the board is something worth noting. The Eternal Wanderer manages to populate the battlefield, generate synergies with blink effects, and can even protect herself. All this for six mana seems interesting in decks like UW Control and its variations.

Let's start our review for blue with Ichormoon Gauntlet. An artifact that can be picked up from a Karn, the Great Creator and which has a high chance of being part of Mono-Green Nykthos' arsenal. Extra turn abilities are always a bit of a concern, and pair that with planeswalkers and the proliferate mechanic can make for some insane combos.

Mercurial Spelldancer is the Snapcaster Mage that Explorer needed.

Two mana, unblockable and still rogue-type. It's a card that will definitely see play in Tempo strategies of the format, especially Dimir Rogues, which is a deck that I really like and will probably make good use of this card.

Another card that could very well find a home in Dimir Rogues. Jace, the Perfected Mind fits well in the deck, being able to drop early on the board and disable opponent threats while opening the way for rogues to do their job and still being a great source of card advantage.

Explorer receives powerful black cards and other very versatile and useful ones. Sheoldred's Edict is quite the removal, filling the spot that belongs to Dreadbore, at least until this card arrives in the format. Being instant and being on turn two are factors that make this card a great addition.

Mono-Black Midrange or Mono-Black Devotion has been increasing its presence in ranked Arena since the introduction of Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx to the format, and could be the perfect home for Phyrexian Obliterator - which already exists on MTGArena, but isn't Explorer-legal yet.

4 devotion and a 5/5 on the board is something the deck will be able to put to good use, despite already having Sheoldred, the Apocalypse as four-drop.

In red, we have one more piece that can enable Hammer Time in Explorer. Cacophony Scamp can be equipped with Colossus Hammer and immediately sacrificed, dealing lethal damage.

Gleeful Demolition is the Explorer's Kuldotha Rebirth. As with Mono-Red Aggro Pauper, we can think of an Explorer version using this card.

It has excellent interaction with artifacts that are present in the format, such as Experimental Synthesizer and Implement of Combustion, in addition to working very well with Monastery Swiftspear and still serving as a removal of artifacts in the main deck, can be of great help against sacrifice decks that use Witch's Oven.

Tyrranax Rex is a mind-boggling, game-ending bomb and is a force to be reckoned with in the green color of this set.

Ward 4 and being unable to counter it make this creature a powerful weapon against Midrange and Control decks. It can enter causing great damage and the format supports strategies that can easily reach the seven mana needed to cast this creature.

And another compleated planeswalker is among the highlights of the set. Nissa, Ascended Animist can be the wincondition of green aggro and can even be on some Mono-Green Devotion lists.

It can put a bomb on the board and still has firepower against artifacts and enchantments, being a weapon against decks that abuse Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.

This card can be an interesting answer against Cauldron Familiar or Arclight Phoenix. Being a creature that can easily die to a Fatal Push is a downside, but its effect works more effectively than Unlicensed Hearse, as well as being a great body to block in combat.

Here we have one of the most interesting cards in the set and which may, who knows, become a new Oko and be banned. Tyvar can generate some pretty strong combos, interacting with cards like Prime Speaker Vannifar and Priest of Forgotten Gods.

Allied Fast Lands

ONE will also give Explorer a more solid mana base with Allied Fastlands. The format already has a good variety of them and the fast lands will give greater consistency to the decks of the format, in addition to a greater variety of decks with three or more colors.

Which is the best Explorer card in Phyrexia: All Will be One?

Phyrexia: All Will Be One delivers relevant additions to Explorer in virtually every color. There are more cards that can be explored in the future of the format as it moves towards becoming Pioneer in Arena.

ONE will be officially released on February 3rd, and you can check out all of its cards on here.

If you have any suggestions for cards that could impact the format that weren't mentioned here, feel free to use the comments section.

Thank you and see you next time!