CardName – Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 4.13
Limited: 4.75
Multiplayer: 3.50
Commander [EDH]: 3.63
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Gruul is a relatively rare color combination for planeswalkers – I think the most famous characters with that color identity are Domri and Xenagos, both of whom are also linked by the fact that they were killed by other planeswalkers. So it’s interesting to get another, in the form of Lukka here, even though he doesn’t push very much new design ground. At five mana you can use his -4 immediately, which will often clear the table if it’s crowded; and interestingly, when the table isn’t crowded, you might actually prefer to cast him for four mana and two life so you can shift into offense mode with either of his other abilities. That version reminds me of Garruk Wildspeaker, who has a great pedigree in competitive Magic and is a casual favorite to this very day, so I think Phyrexian Lukka has some good prospects.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
Speaking of Garruk, I’ve been seriously hoping they found him a role to play in March of the Machine. The first Innistrad block proves that he has no fear of throwing down with anything from werewolves to Chain Veil-powered Liliana and beyond – and he specializes in hunting down and slaying planeswalkers.
Back to muck things up, Lukka’s compleated form sort of hews pretty close to the regular red/green playbook, focusing on big and stompy creatures to get one’s smash on. Notably, Lukka weaponizes the creatures you already have, thanks to his -4 splitting damage among any number of targets; this is a solid board wipe and can be used immediately if Lukka comes out at five mana. Unlike Nissa, who came out at seven mana to ult immediately, I think Lukka coming out at 5 is more reasonable for a one-sided board wipe of sorts.
Beyond that, Lukka’s abilities are reasonable, and if he needs to come out early, they’re pretty good. Four mana to make a 3/3 with upside is a solid ability that hearkens back to the original Garruk Wildspeaker, and his +1 can push you really far ahead of the curve. I’d say Lukka has reasons to consider either of his casting points, but the ability to serve as a board cleaner alone will keep eyes on the walking catastrophe for a while. He’s not flashy, but flashy rarely wins games with planeswalkers, and his abilities are solid day-to-day in a supporting role.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 5 (wins games if unanswered)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.75 (a five-mana selective sweeper is solid enough)
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