Collector Ouphe – Modern Horizons MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

Between this guy and Shadowmoor‘s duergar, it’s very clear that someone in Wizards of the Coast’s art department has read Elfquest. As they should have – it’s captivating and affecting, and a lesson in world- and story-building. If you have a chance to pick up one of the collected editions, do it!

Collector Ouphe is the kind of card you get a lot of in bigger competitive formats with extremely powerful linear strategies, a literal off switch for artifacts. Stopping Affinity for just two mana is obviously great – note that his ability doesn’t specify non-land artifacts, so they can’t even tap Great Furnace for mana when he’s in play. Decks of that type aren’t entirely without recourse, obviously – they’ll have to be careful about tapping out early so they can float mana while he’s on the stack, and hopefully have Galvanic Blast in their hand.

This card might be a little on the fragile side by tournament Modern’s standards, but his existence may force decks to adapt. There are definitely ways to be weaker against him and ways to be more resilient against him, and I could imagine a metagame in which artifact decks need to think about him when making their own choices.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5

Stony Silence and Null Rod have another friend, this time in Ouphe form. Collector Ouphe being a creature is equal parts pro and con; it’s at least 62% more killable than its forebears, but Collector Ouphe can end the game while locking out your artifact-inclined opponents by going for their throats, and you can even luck into getting out the little nuisance through things like Collected Company and other tutor effects. It also gives the effect to green without forcing it to splash white to get Stony Silence into its deck. It’s probably not a creature you’ll oft want to maindeck, but it’s going to be a sideboard mainstay for a good while…either over or alongside Stony Silence, your preference largely dictating which one you prefer. It’s an excellent answer to Affinity and a workable check to Tron, though the latter will ask for more answers than just making your opponents go “ouphe”.

Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 3
Limited: 2.75
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander: 4