The mage on the artwork looks a lot younger and
more nubile than the white-haired wizards of the
original Izzet. But despite the hip young new
look, it's the same old Izzet. Gigadrowse was
one of the Izzet's most used, and most powerful,
blue spells, but the size of your opponent's
army meant it could be quite a mana sink to get
it to work right. Blustersquall has no such
problem-- four mana and it taps down everything
that isn't yours. If history is bound to repeat
itself, I have no doubt we'll be seeing
Blustersquall clear the way for alpha strikes
just as its ancestor did.
I like how this card, and the overload mechanic
in general, gives you a small vs. bigger
dichotomy type of choice, kind of like a twist
on evoke for spells. I doubt that's exactly how
it was concepted in R&D, though. In practice, a
lot of people are going to effectively treat
this as an instant for 3U that taps all
creatures you don't control, but options are
good - and the option for a cheap, early
usage turns it from a merely solid card into a
potentially game-changing one.
Today's card of the day is Blustersquall which
is a Blue one mana or four with Overload instant
that taps one target or each creature you don't
control. This is a decent enough card,
particularly in Multiplayer, that isn't overly
powerful in a typical Blue build yet could see
play in a support role while it is in Standard
rotation. The option to cast for one or for four
adds noticeable value which should keep this as
an option for tap-down themes or more aggressive
builds looking for a board changer.
For Limited this is a very effective combat
trick that can easily win a game when Overload
is used. Tapping down the opponent's army
on their turn will prevent an attack then allow
a likely unopposed alpha strike.
Using it when they have mana untapped plus cards
in hand may have another creature enter play
after the effect, so math is vital to get
maximum impact from Blustersquall. A
single threat can tapped for just one mana,
allowing flexibility in leaving just one land
untapped plus only requiring a Blue for either
cost allows the typically multicolor decks easy
access to the effect. An automatic
inclusion when playing one of the Blue guilds
and a great second or third choice in Booster.
Welcome to
a new week of card of the day reviews here at
Pojo.com! We are back after a short break, but
jump into the action with the hot new cards from
Return to Ravnica! Our first look is at
Blustersquall. Blustersquall is an uncommon blue
instant that costs one blue mana. Blustersquall
taps target creature you don’t control. Overload
for three generic and a blue to replace the word
target with each.
Blustersquall features the new Izzet
mechanic, Overload, which allows you more bang
for your buck, kind of like how the Izzet like
it. In this instant, it can be an amazingly
useful way to spend your mana. Tapping all of
your opponents creatures can have devastating
results, and being able to do so for only four
mana is indeed a bargain. Hard to believe that
this is only an uncommon, but with how vastly
powerful this set actually is, it should come as
no surprise that powerful cards are in the lower
categories of card rarity.
Stave off an attack, open the doors for an
assault of your own, or however you decide that
this is advantageous for you is yours to decide.
