Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth – Murders at Karlov Manor
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 4.37
Limited: 4.25
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.50
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Murders at Karlov Manor isn’t going to be out for slightly under two weeks, but Alquist is already sparking lots of interesting fan theories, and a few that are downright unhinged. From a gameplay point of view, though, the big draw is turning one Clue token into a massive card-drawing incident. That’s pretty late-game, as sacrificing the Clue he generates himself the next turn will cost you four mana for one card, which is pretty bad compared to the inbuilt rate. But even one mana later than that, two cards for one Clue almost starts feeling like an intriguing offer; and even if that’s not quite enough, the huge swings promised in the late game are a real threat. You also have to feel like he was planted here to be a Clue-centered legend for Commander, and while he’s also the only one right now, he’s legitimately strong in that role too.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4.5
Any good mystery needs a good detective, and Alquist Proft is here to fill in that detective-shaped void in our hearts or something. He has been getting pre-set attention, though, and a reason for that is his activated ability.
Specifically, it’s Sphinx’s Revelation. The mythic rare from Return to Ravnica wound up being a multi-format staple for years because it represents a pretty big tempo swing. Alquist Proft isn’t quite Sphinx’s Revelation, but he does a pretty good job of approximating it…and doing so multiple times if you have clues to spare. He does bring his own, so you get at least one go, but this can be pretty “fun” if you have more ways to start sleuthing about.
He’s even a serviceable creature, thanks to vigilance letting him put up pressure while still keeping the ability to achieve a revelatory insight in a pinch. I do wish he’d have had 1 more point of toughness, but that might make him too good. I’d be surprised if he made major waves in Modern, but I suspect he’s going to do just fine outside of that format and may even show up on and off there; Sphinx’s Revelation has proven to be quite powerful over the years, and he offers enough promise to be rather high on his prospects.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4.75
Limited: 4.5 (this might be a massive threat in Limited; get one Revelation off, and the game might be out of reach)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 4.5 (I like him as a sort of self-sufficient Commander engine)
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