Teval, Arbiter of Virtue – Tarkin: Dragonstorm
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 4.13
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4.37
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.25
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I’m not used to thinking of anything related to Sultai as having anything to do with virtue. Remember, this was the clan that used to make extensive deals with rakshasas, zombify everything that it was physically possible to, and trick the other clans with obnoxious wordplay. But I guess that was a literal different timeline ago. Teval also might just have wanted to teach them a better way, although it’s hard to make delve fair in any way. His life loss clause comes close, but there are plenty of times when you will just power through because it helps you win the game regardless. Of course, Teval himself actually has a workaround for it, which will slow things down a little if you need to lean on it, yet might also turn your deck into an engine if it’s constructed right. I suspect that his best use might turn out to be something that isn’t obvious on an initial reading, and that it might further be surprisingly good.
Constructed: 4
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.5 (even just for being a super-efficient dragon)
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4 (40 life format!)
Delve was an ability that proved to be a bit of a problem in its original proper outing, and giving everything delve is certainly a dangerous ability on its face. Teval, Arbiter of Virtue does just that, letting you knock your graveyard out to cast to your heart’s content, albeit with a price: spells will cost you life, regardless of if you enabled them with delve. This feels like a clever way to force some creative deck-building, as you can’t just vomot out a board of Eldrazi after emptying your deck. That said, Teval’s lifelink helps you recoup some of that loss, as well as just being an efficient way to swoop.
This card feels dangerous, and I’m sure it’s going to get experimented with heavily. It’s not without downside, as that life loss can add up if you’re not careful. Still, a good body on top of a nice color pairing makes this an experiment well worth undertaking, and I’m excited to see what comes of it.
Constructed: 4.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.25 (play it for the body more than the rest)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 4.5
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