Unfortunately, we've already seen the Jeskai
clan this week. Maybe this week's cards weren't
the best five to show off of the set. Then
again, our first Jeskai card didn't have the
clan's keyword ability: Prowess. It did enable
the Jeskai player to play quite a few
noncreature spells, though. Coindicence? Of
course not!
Prowess is a fairly intriguing ability if you
think about it. It encourages you to play more
noncreature spells, but all cards with Prowess
are creatures. Do you load up on Prowess
creatures so you'll have plenty of bodies to
maximize the effect of the +1/+1? Or do you add
more support spells and combat tricks to make
your fewer Prowess creatures hit harder?
It's intriguing on this card, too. Jeskai Elder
has a "looting" ability that triggers when it
gets through for damage, but no evasion. It
wants you to play noncreature spells, both in
general (to hit harder and survive what blocks
it) and specifically on it (to pump it up). And
if you succeed? Well, we just said that Prowess
decks are going to have to balance their
creature-to-non-creature ratio. The deck
filtering ability will let you dig for whichever
you need more of while pitching whatever you
have too much of.
Much like the elderly kung fu masters of Hong
Kong cinema that it's inspired by, Jeskai Elder
is stronger and more dangerous than it looks.
Consider how much control decks
traditionally fear a creature - or any
permanent, really - that provides an advantage
for an opponent and which impacts the game early
enough that their defenses may not be set up
yet. Consider how the prowess keyword gives the
Elder's controller a way to help it out in the
creature combat that advantage creatures like
Merfolk Looter have historically struggled with.
Consider that blue has the largest selection of
instants and sorceries, including those that let
you defend the Elder while also strengthening it
and those that let it simply avoid any combat
that prowess doesn't help it win.
Welcome back readers todays card of the day is
kung fu granny and by that I mean Jeskai elder.
The base stats of a 1/2 are sort of meh but the
Prowess ability allows it to become large if
left unchecked. The ability to loot on hit is
highly relevant as opponents have to decide
whether to block and get hit with potential
Prowess triggers or to let you get your loot on.
In standard I think this card requires too much
to be good making it a slow and non impactful
card. In other constructed formats this card
also is a little slow and unlike Kiln Fiend is
not as rewarding putting all your eggs into this
basket. In casual and multiplayer this is a
solid looter that has to hit but carries
potential upside in Prowess, I don’t see it
becoming super popular but a Prowess deck could
be fun. In limited it’s a solid Prowess guy that
awards attacking and provides some filtering a
solid roleplayer of a card. Overall a pretty
below average but fun card.
Today's card of the day is Jeskai Elder which
is a two mana Blue 1/2 with Prowess that gives
it +1/+1 until end of turn for each non-creature
spell you cast and it also has whenever it deals
combat damage to a player you may draw a card
then discard a card. This is a decent
creature for a more aggressive Blue build as it
can be a variable-sized threat and potentially
filter your hand somewhat. It may actually
be more reliable defensively as any combat
tricks cast will also add the +1/+1.
Overall it is likely to see some play in
Standard, but little to none in other formats.
In Limited this is a nice creature to have as
even a two mana 1/2 is playable, so boosting it
until end of turn for every non-creature spell
is a solid benefit. Hand filtering can be
beneficial to pitch an extra land or search for
a key card which adds a little more value to an
already worthwhile pick. In Sealed this is
an easy inclusion when running Blue as a source
of early game pressure with a little late game
value, while for Booster this is more of a third
or fourth pick when compared to more consistent
threats or removal.
"Looters", as creatures with the draw/discard
ability have been come to be known, have proven
to be useful deck thinners. Most of them,
however, either have the draw/discard as a tap
ability, or have some sort of evasion to get
their attack in. The elder, here, has neither.
What it does have, is Prowess. Does potentially
giving it +1/+1 make it likely enough to get
through for combat damage? Unless you're playing
a very controlling deck, it's unlikely to get
through very often. Even a controlling deck
usually wants to play it's instants on the
opponent's turn whenever possible. I am not very
impressed with Prowess as an ability at this
point. I could be proven wrong, but I don't
think the Elder is going to see much play
outside of limited, where it is an average card
at best.
