Admiral Beckett Brass – MTG Ixalan Review

King Of
Hearts

I really like Pirates in Grixis colors. The Blue and Black were obvious but adding Red allows them them to steal permanents ala “Catch.” I like Admiral Beckett Brass’ art a lot. When i think “Legendary Pirate” I think of Black Beard or Davy Jones, not an old lady wearing ropes and masts. You even see the three pirates from her ability. Between treasure to help with mana fixing, a crew of 2/2 menacing tokens, and a plethora of control spells, Grixis Pirates is really fun to play. It’s obvious that the Admiral was created for the sole purpose of commander play, which she does an admirable job of. 

Constructed: 2
Limited: 2
Casual: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander (EDH): 5

Yo ho ho, and stuff. Admiral Beckett Brass is the Pirate lord we all were hoping for, and she’s pretty good. She enables piracy (which is important) through her second effect, letting you liberate things if your pirates get through to an opponent. I believe the wording will only ever allow you to get one thing a turn, regardless of how many opponents you have in the game, but it’s still a potent effect worthy of a mythic. Buffing all your pirates also helps, and I can see games where dropping her onto your board provides enough manpower for a game-ending swing.

A four-mana lord is great, but she has the downside in having three toughness in a format where Lightning Strike is back and Abrade is present. She’s a touch too squishy to be a staple in decks, but she does have a home in more casual Pirate decks everywhere.

Constructed: 2.75
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander: 4