Vivien Reid – Core Set 2019
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.63
Casual: 4.75
Limited: 4.63
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 3.88
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Vivien’s first printing came as Arena was taking off as a significant way that many people played Magic, and her abilities attracted a lot of attention for the best-of-one formats that appeared on that platform. I think it’s amusing that some Arena players had to put so much effort into formulating rules for best-of-one cards, because longtime casual players immediately recognized why Vivien is so good. In games with no sideboards, cards that can do more than one thing are premium. And she doesn’t just do multiple things: everything she does is useful at certain times and in certain scenarios, and having the ability to do any of them in one five-mana card is a bargain. Broken Wings is already playable in best-of-one style games, as is Commune with Nature; Vivien can mimic both of those spells and win you the game on top of that. Requiring a high density of creatures is notable but not much of a hardship for green, and she’ll almost always have something to do when you cast her.
I know I’m always asking “Where is Garruk?”, and we were denied the epic showdown between him and Vorinclex that we all deserved. But I would actually like to see him team up with Vivien at some point – the only thing better than one fair and fun midrange engine is two of them!
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
As far as planeswalkers go, Vivien Reid is not the showiest or flashiest…outside of her ultimate, but with rare exception, planeswalkers are not explicitly played for their ultimates. Her strength lies in being able to grind out advantage between her +1 and her -3; the former lets you draw the best-suited card of four choices, and her -3 pops a problematic permanent on the spot while leaving her on the board (usually). Even if it’s just a five-mana Naturalize or Plummet, it’s a five-mana spell that still draws resources away to keep her from getting too wild, and that sometimes can be worth a surprising amount in terms of tempo and just being able to leverage her strengths.
What makes Vivien Reid solid is that she’s functional even if you don’t need her -3; it’s rare that her +1 will whiff completely, and it even pushes her towards that scary ultimate (not the main draw, but nothing to sneeze at). I doubt she’ll be a massive force in Standard, but she’s the sort of glue card that can give decks a bit of late gas while also serving as a flexible answer.
Constructed: 3.75 (not likely to make waves outside of Standard and Pioneer, but I would be surprised if she was stone-cold unplayable)
Casual: 5
Limited: 4.75
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.75 (more likely just a five-mana Naturalize/Plummet that pulls a bit of attention, but she does do that job very well)
We would love more volunteers to help us with our Magic the Gathering Card of the Day reviews. If you want to share your ideas on cards with other fans, feel free to drop us an email. We’d be happy to link back to your blog / YouTube Channel / etc. 😉
Click here to read over 5,000 more MTG Card of the Day Reviews!
Daily Since 2001.
