Ravnica’s Most Wanted – 3 Amazing “Murders at Karlov Manor” Cards
Every new MTG set has its high-powered suspects, but these three Murders at Karlov Manor cards might be on a police watchlist somewhere.
Welcome in, Praetors and Planeswalkers! Murders at Karlov Manor is officially out now, but even before its street date, it was shaking up the scene.
Several cards from the set have been standout power pieces, while a few slipped in like thieves to steal a high spot. Whether they’re shaking up Standard and Arena or dominating the scene at Commander nights, these three cards have been standouts and are currently the prime targets for players.
Cryptic Coat
When this card first appeared, it was draft chafe. After all, what good is an equipment card you can’t move that might shut down an important card? Well…apparently, in Standard and Arena, a lot of good. Cryptic Coat allows you to cheat powerful creatures onto the battlefield, making them unblockable. Sure, they’re only 3 power when they swing in, but you can flip them face up at any time. Suddenly, that 3/2 unblockable is an Etali, a Ghalta, or a Gishath stomping your opponent’s face in. Plus, since you can pop it back into your hand, you can do this over and over again. While the impact isn’t felt as heavily in Commander, I imagine dedicated players will find a nasty combo for it in no time.
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole
The Underminer of modern Commander, Anzrag has been an EDH threat out of the gate. An 8/4 for four is already a pretty good bargain, but his abilities make him one of the nastiest Gruul leaders we’ve seen in a while. Whenever Anzrag is blocked, everything untaps, and you take an additional combat phase. The simple solution is just don’t block, right? Well, if the Gruul player can summon up eight mana (spoiler alert: they can), then you HAVE to block him every combat. That means he keeps attacking, you have to keep blocking, and more combat steps happen. The only thing Anzrag needs to do is make himself indestructible, and he’ll keep swinging until the table is gone. Pop a Mage Slayer on the big mole for extra fun, so even blocking him won’t slow him down.
Voja, Jaws of the Conclave
Wolves and Elves have been allies since early in Magic’s history. In the first Ravnica block, Tolsimir introduced his faithful companion Voja as a legendary token, and every incarnation of him has had some mention of the loyal wolf. This is the first time we’ve seen him in his own card, however, and his introduction is phenomenal. He’s a 5/5 with trample, vigilance, and ward for the low price of five mana. Then, whenever he attacks, all your creatures are boosted by the number of Elves you control, and then you get to draw cards equal to the number of Wolves you control. This gives you not only card advantage, but a massive field-wide boost to your attacks. Since Elves multiply like rabbits, you’ll have a massive army in no time once Voja hits the field.
Which card is your favorite?
