Lithomantic Barrage– March of the Machine
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.25
Casual: 3.00
Limited: 3.50
Multiplayer: 3.00
Commander [EDH]: 3.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I had to sneak this one into the review schedule because, despite it being a “boring” color hate and/or sideboard card, it highlights a design principle I’m surprised they haven’t used more often. It can target a non-white or blue card but has additional effects against white or blue – this means that in, say, formats where Birds of Paradise is frequently played, you can maindeck it and get an additional bonus when somebody also happens to have bigger creatures for you to destroy with it. It’s not spectacular and it’s almost never strictly necessary in casual Magic, unless you’re in a situation where you need to build a deck that beats your sibling’s and don’t care how it performs against everything else. But there will be tournament situations where you’ll be glad to have it. I note that it actually deals more damage to its target colors than Rending Volley, which I would have guessed would remain the pinnacle.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3
Lithomantic Barrage is the latest in the long line of color-focused hate cards; that said, unlike a lot of older ones, this isn’t completely dead against non-blue and non-white targets. Five damage is a lot and is well within kill range for a vast number of targets, and “can’t be countered” is always a good way to make it harder fot the blue mage to thwart this. One damage is far less optimal, of course, but it does mean that this isn’t completely dead if you’re not against those colors. I feel like this is likely going to see similar uses to cards like Roast and Combust: a potent side-board piece to bring in against particular decks, and it will deal with those things admirably.
Constructed: 3.5 (textbook definition of a sideboard card)
Casual: 3
Limited: 3.5 (any removal in Limited that is worth considering)
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3 (you’ll likely find something to hit at most tables, but devoting one out of 99 slots o this is only ideal if your local meta is very blue and/or white heavy)
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