A few of Magic: the Gathering‘s most beloved Commanders had been launched within the preconstructed decks of 2017. Edgar Markov and The Ur-Dragon are each extremely sturdy playing cards that stay fashionable even 9 years later. It is because they each possess the Eminence mechanic, which grants them a capability that impacts the Battlefield from the Command Zone, to allow them to form video games even when they’re by no means performed. A brand new commander has simply been previewed that additionally has Eminence, however which turns the highly effective mechanic right into a draw back.
Sahir, Customer in Darkness, a horned human wizard, has simply been previewed and can function in Thriller Booster Commander Version. Just like the Ur-Dragon and Edgar Markov, Sahir possesses Eminence, nonetheless, not like these two playing cards, Sahir punishes the participant, slightly than rewarding them, when positioned in command of a deck.
Whereas Sahir is within the Command Zone, or on the battlefield, the participant who constructed their deck round them takes one injury throughout every of their upkeeps. This is similar painful downside as Juzam Djin, one of many best MTG cards of its period, and a card that clearly impressed Sahir. Sahir’s ‘customer in darkness’ epithet is a reference to Juzam Djin’s taste textual content, each playing cards have comparable results that injury their very own controller, they usually even each have the identical horns.
Fortuitously, Sahir is not all ache, no acquire. Whereas this horned wizard is in play, they obtain a +1/+1 any time their controller takes precisely one injury from a spell or skill that they management. If Sahir’s controller offers one injury to themself twice in a flip, then Sahir even lets them draw a card. This opens up a world of intriguing, albeit barely masochistic, deck development. Will you embody some life acquire playing cards to steadiness out the injury that Sahir offers, or totally embrace it and run playing cards like Demise’s Shadow and The Final Experience that reward you for having little or no life remaining?
On condition that Gavin Verhey, the MTG designer credited with creating Eminence, once described it as “The Magic Mechanic I Should not Have Made!” This punishing twist, on the previously highly effective impact, appears designed to reign within the mechanic and make it much less preeminent.
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