REALITY FRACTURE - CARDBOARD CORNER
For the last 20 years, Jace Beleren has been one of Magic's foremost personalities. He's attended many of multiverse's greatest trials, appearing on a total of 15 planeswalker cards to turn the tide, and to prevent greater calamity from befalling the universe... until now. It is in REALITY FRACTURE, the last in-universe Magic set of the year that we see the toll of all the losses and the sorrows, and how under a weight so great, even the Mirror Mage might shatter.
Reality fracture marks the conclusion to a years-long narrative, with the culmination of Jace's ruinous work to rewrite the multiverse and right all the wrongs he and his friends have suffered, no matter the costs.
To be succinct, I think this set is solid, and I'm sure that having a compelling narrative with earned stakes has done wonders in getting me to believe that. REALITY FRACTURE was said to be a spiritual successor to Planar Chaos, which likely further endears me to its concept, where we explore the clashing of the Magic Multiverse and Jace's Echoverse. Lastly, this set is full of funky designs which I'm sure will have no ripple effects in various formats whatsoever. In my enthusiasm, I accidentally picked more cards than I usually would, and since there's only so long before my Echoverse doppleganger finds me, I should really get a wiggle on and tell you about all these cards I think are cool.
And so, in no particular order, the 20 coolest (IMHO) cards from REALITY FRACTURE.
I think this card is the new Nevinyrral's Disk, which while no longer a card strong enough to go in most EDH decks, is still a fuction many decks would love to have access to especially at this cost. Loot for two, and then boardwipe for five?
I don't think I could talk about Jace's set without talking about Jace, and about how designed for commander/archenemy he is. This card's power jumps up the scale in a game with four players, putting gas in your hand and making that ultimate buff the coup-de-grace for decks that go both tall and wide.
To the best of my knowledge, this is now the best-in-class version of this card. Most base-changers only work offensively or defensively, so PT giving you the option makes for a super flexible include in animation/low to the ground evasion decks.
As mentioned before, we're getting a ton of characters from the multiverse, and their Echoverse counterparts. Mabel, Bitter Recluse is my iconic pick for this, as although she's a relatively small thorn once in play, her etb cuts superfriends and +1/+1 counter strategies to the quick. I think she's a great tempo play, and I can't wait to get a playset.
REALITY FRACTURE also features colorshifted versions of older staples. Enlightened Confidant is a white version of Dark Confidant which rewards lifegain decks for all that life they like to gain. I think its worth celebrating this advancement on account of lifegain's "and then what" problem, where they make the game go longer, but don't necessarily use that extra time to build a position they can win from. This confidant at least smooths some of lifegain's draws, if not drawing those decks to their wins, and will hopefully be a healthy addition to the meta.
Speaking of returning, we have a returning mechanic of prepared, first seen in Secrets of Strixhaven, and makes sense as REALITY FRACTURE is largely set in the school's mirror self of Hexhaven. Evil school of evil aside, I really appreciate the Phytomedic and their place in Pauper, as a pair of 1 cost hybrid spells that give you two cast triggers, a creature enters trigger, a lifegain trigger, and a +1/+1 counter... it's just so many things you can capitalize on by being two cards in one.
A new mechanic for REALITY FRACTURE is empower Jace, which makes a planeswalker token of Jace, or puts counters on a Jace token you already control. It's kind of like amassing an army token, but its an army of (Bjork) and it has some simpler planeswalker abilities on it.
Two cool things about this mechanic.
- It means we'll have planeswalker tokens in Pauper, which has knock on effects I'm sure
- We already have a pair of Jaces who make Jace tokens, meaning those tokens could get empowered by this mechanic.
Are they good Jace Tokens? Good is subjective. The important thing is that they exist and create space for tinkering.
I love mass copy effects like this, and I understand how ephemeral this effect should be in red, but with so many people making Jaces it really feels as though you might get a second turn out of this spell (which is good because I spent seven mana to hardcast it!) On top of that, if you need a turn after that, this might be enough to get you off of your back foot, given that you can hold up the tokens to protect your life total and your planeswalker if you don't have a way to break through turn of. Defensive play in red? It happens sometimes, but it surprised me too.
Selesnya hate-cats are getting stronger. Remember Watchwolf? Remember the guy that replaced Watchwolf? This cat might usurp the usurper. What a fate!
To shake up the thought, I don't know that this card is enough to make the Modern format reconsider its curve, but it may be enough of a speedbump to give the game an extra turn or two that decks of the now don't have a plan around... and that's exciting.
The "Ways" are somewhat reminiscent of the MoM Commander cycle of Talents that gave enchanted planeswalkers loyalty abilities, because many of the other Ways just give all of your planeswalkers another way to spend or earn their counters. That's great if your planeswalkers are just batteries, but these two enchantments stand out from the others because they are batteries for your actual planeswalkers that already have abilities you want to use. In this instance-focused world, these feel extremely powerful, and with the right sequencing you can trigger ultimates the turn after you cast 'em. Kinda based IMHO.
I don't think this is the first Labman commander, but it is the cutest one. It also enables itself. Thanks Fblthp, for being the meme that gives back.
Also, I bet this baby screams like R2D2.
I really like the snipe exile saboteur ability on the Afterthought sentry because its so relevant. That said, this card is a gross example of power creep because this is a common, it has optional evasion, pushed stats for a colorless card, and it doesn't need to deal the damage in order to exile the graveyard card. Disgusting!
"Welcome back, Phyrexian Obliterator. I see you got really into landfall. Oh, they don't have to be basics? Well, isn't that nifty."
Although I reflexively cringe at how new magic this feels, its likely a fair and powerful addition to its cycle, and I would bet that its going to be a popular single since devotion 4 to green really doesn't feel that hard to pull off in a landfall/ramp deck. Without trample, I do wonder what you'll claw your way towards wincon-wise with all the extra mana, but that's probably me demonstrating my lack of imagination xD
Remove a threat, AND steal an etb/ltb AND then chuck it into exile? Its decadent, this effect, like pouring sugar on your sugar, but even I can't argue with that kind of temptation. Insult to injury, and cruelty of cruelties, egads!
Our fourth Emrakul is a Legendary Peregrin Drake. She's free (both literally and also because you untap ALL of your lands) 12/12 that ramps and tramps.
There's been a lot of theorycrafting around this sphinx involving Roxanne, Starfall Savant and Agatha of the Vile Cauldron, and you know what?
That's actually pretty sick. Ok. Keep cooking internet, you're doing good.
He's just nice. He's just a nice guy, and he's just here to make sure that everyone plays nice and fair and nice. That said, I didn't realize Tocatli Honor Guard was fair to make in colorless, or that Doorkeeper Thrull's flying and flash were a fair trade to hush artifact etb's too.
This card is pain. It's a great little stacks piece that makes answering your plays hurt more, which takes the target off your back and puts it directly on Gideon, which incidentally also hurts. On top of all that, its the dark version of your dead bff? That's just insult to injury.
Sorcery speed Swift End with an alt mode with a build-your-own Risky Research? Terrific flexibility, and absolutely tragic implications.
But if you're not too bummed out by that bittersweet conclusion, maybe we'll see you at our REALITY FRACTURE prerelease, September 25th thru October 1st! Sign ups and Preorders are live on the website now, but they're going quick! Don't wait for your Echoverse Doppleganger to snag your seat, and see you at the shop!
Until next crisis,
-b
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Ben Doane has been a member of the Pandemonium Team since 2019, and has been playing Wargames, RPGs, and TCGs since 2004 and earlier. In addition to running the Blog, she also Runs the Gardening and Incinerating departments, and is the store's Defacto Wormlord.
Her favorite game is currently Bocce.