Search for Azcanta – Top 10 MTG Cards of 2017 #6

King Of
Hearts

This card was ranked 4th on my Top 10 list.

It should come as no surprise that Azcanta made it on to this year’s list. Since our last review this card has proven that it is here to stay, especially with the popularity of “God Pharaoh’s Gift.” 

After extensive play testing I have discovered some flaws with the card. It doesn’t exile itself when it transforms so it doesn’t trigger Landfall. The mana cost should really be BB to help with Chroma and Devotion. Lastly, you don’t draw the extra card so you can’t abuse Miracle cards.

Am I being petty? Yes. Both sides of this card are a control payer’s dream. Aside from the previously mentioned “Field of Ruin” land destruction is pretty scarce, making Azcanta hard to deal with. This card is one of those where you either run it, or must have a way around it.

Constructed: 5
Limited: 4
Casual: 4
Multiplayer: 4
Commander (EDH): 5

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

This card was ranked #10 in my Top Ten list.

So, there’s a reasonably unfunny meme going around some parts of the internet about this card being a “card advantage powerhouse”. It’s true that we do use that phrase a lot. But, if you consider that the Azcanta side is rather similar to Impulse, a card that was more than good enough to represent a whole year in From the Vault: Twenty, you sort of see why. It’s a little more limited, which is the drawback you get for its being repeatable, but obviously you know that when you’re making your deck. (It’s also funny that we have a re-usable riff on a card once described as an “instant-speed Demonic Tutor” in the most recent expansion, yet many of us are still convinced that the power level is going ever down.) There’s even often a reason to just put cards in your graveyard several turns in a row, and not do anything else – there’s easier ways to set up dredge, but things like Ghoultree or Gnaw to the Bone are just fine in a slower and more incremental style of deck.

Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
EDH/Commander: 4/5

This card was ranked 8th on my Top 10 list.

Search for Azcanta is brutally efficient card advantage, letting you scour your library and get rid of the pieces that don’t immediately help your current board state (pre-flip) and giving you an Impulse every turn (post-flip). It’s not a particularly complex card, but what it lacks in depth is made up for in sheer power, as it couples a fairly manageable flip trigger with powerful effects. If you’re in blue, there’s little reason to eschew this card, and it’s even started to make waves in Modern.

Constructed: 4.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander: 4