Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Maelstrom Wanderer - Planechase 2012 and EDH

Okay, so I know I am a little behind on this, but I want to bring it up anyways.  Wizards recently announced the second run of Planechase, scheduled for Summer of 2012.  What is interesting to me is the fact that it will include NEW cards for eternal formats.  They spoiled a single card, and there is no doubt that us Commander'ers are the target audience for the new cards.  Check out Maelstrom Wanderer, something only an EDH general could love.

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/848

Maelstrom Wanderer

I don't really like this guy as a general - any deck that wants to cast him will need a lot of mana dorks/rocks/ramps, and their inclusion makes double cascade less than impressive.  If a deck was built to really take advantage of its ability, it would be bogged down with high end creatures, and may never end up playing the general.  The haste thing is unimpressive in a color that has Urabrask and Anger available in more efficient bodies.

So where does this guy fit in? 

Animar.  Animar's ability allows for a higher creature curve, so loading the deck down with 5-7 drops isn't nearly as risky.  What's more, it isn't difficult to reduce the Wanderer's own high cost, making the double cascade a HUGE tempo boost.  Spend 3 or 4 mana for a 7/5 Haste plus two more hasty creatures?  Yes please!  Ideally, it would be sweet to cascade into Primeval Titan/Avenger of Zendikar, or Regal Force for that matter.  Kiki-Jiki and Phyrexian Ingester/Duplicant would be hot too!  I think the X casting cost creatures may need to come out at that point, though I still like Apocalypse Hydra. 

Horde of Notions would also have a lot of fun with the Wanderer, though I am not super familiar with those decks in general.