Urza’s Incubator – Urza’s Destiny
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 5.0
Limited: 3.0
Multiplayer: 3.88
Commander [EDH]: 4.13
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
In years gone by, you rarely got kindred effects for anything much beyond the popular creature types, and if you were interested in an obscure one, you really had to take whatever you could get. There was an audience for Atogatog, I kid you not. Any readers with that interest already know how effective Urza’s Incubator can be – for those who may not have seen it before, it can come down early enough to all but guarantee some explosive turns around the corner. Cards like this are a big part of the reason people were encouraged to play Disenchant effects in their casual decks back then, even if they didn’t feel they needed them. It was and is obviously a big help for creatures like dragons, pre-M10 vampires, and assorted sea creatures, but it still retains relevance in today’s design environment: note, for example, that it effectively gives a certain style of hydra +2/+2 as long as you keep it in play.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 5
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
Urza’s Incubator is one of those effects that can be very dangerous if left to sit, and it shines brightly in decks able to take full advantage of its cost reduction. It does come with a cost in its symmetry, as this can backfire…but, as oft is the case, this ability is one you can stand to benefit from more by tailoring your deck to take advantage of it. In particular, this actually has shown up in occasional Vintage play, thanks to a surfeit of artifact creatures that can play well with it and stack cost reductions to maximize chaos. It’s a card that can shine if you give it the tools to do so, though it’s one that rewards a more narrow set of decks. It is a welcome reprint, though I would be surprised if it catches on in Modern.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 5
Limited: 3 (you need to be really on rails to make this work)
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.25
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