Can I say how happy I am that this
flashback-granting ability is in red now? The
reason I find it so gratifying is that red is
supposed to be a spell color - and this ability
makes it about spells, not just burn spells or
spells that get various low-mana-cost attackers
through (which are less efficient than white's
creatures anyway, because red is a spell color).
It also takes the Dark-Dwellers from being a
legitimate Limited threat to contention for a
constructed-level threat - this triggered
ability is pure card advantage, almost no matter
what is being flashed back. In fact, when you
consider that flashback costs are usually an
average of about two mana higher than the
regular cost and you're also getting an evasive
4/4 creature, it's also pure mana advantage and
quality advantage all around.
Today's card of the day is Goblin Dark-Dwellers
which is a five mana Red
4/4 with Menace that allows you to cast a three
mana or less instant or sorcery from the
graveyard. With Standard options including
Hordeling Outburst for a goblin tribal swarm
theme, Exquisite Firecraft for burn or removal,
or even Act of Treason to give it Haste this has
value in many decks and most situations.
It is both efficient and a decent creature by
itself with a lower form of evasion and a very
supported type. Overall this is likely to
see play in several decks in Standard,
Multiplayer, and Commander formats as a middle
to late game threat with built in card
advantage.
In a Limited format this is a very strong first
pick in Booster as a 4/4 with partial evasion
and card advantage at just five mana. The
double Red prevents minimal splashing, but
support should be easy to draft into or have
available in Sealed.
a 4/4 menace for 5's pretty good. One that
throws in a free 3 or less cmc sorcery/instant
flashback on ETB is really good. It's not one of
those cards that will skyrocket in price (Well,
given the hot mess standard is these days,
maybe.) but it's a really good pick for control
running/splashing red. Older formats give this
plenty of targets. Standard, not so much.
