White Orchid Phantom – Modern Horizons III
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 4.50
Casual: 4.00
Limited: 4.25
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
White Orchid Phantom card is pushed on so many characteristics that it might be hard to believe it’s real. For all that the old-school White Knight and its analogues are powerful, they feel a little less so when they’re not matched up against the right color – flying is more generally useful, as those of you who’ve played with Stillmoon Cavalier will recall. Two combat abilities for two mana is already very strong, but getting the land destruction for no added mana cost really puts the card over the top. I think we all know by now that this variant, the one that usually can’t keep people entirely off colors, feels awfully similar to the unfair variants when used against creature lands and similar things. That means it can destroy some decks’ gameplans when used on curve, and stays relevant in the late game even when the bigger creatures are in play. I’d expect to see this in almost every format you can imagine, in some capacity.
Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
One part efficient beater and one part land hate, White Orchid Phantom feels quite strong overall. A 2/2 with first strike and flying for 2 white is a really good deal (and even manages to power-creep the infamous Reserved List card Thunder Spirit), but the ability to pop a non-basic land on entry is really useful for getting rid of problem lands…or, alternately, abuse your own synergies.
This isn’t terribly flashy, but it is quite good and will likely find homes in both Legacy and Modern. It’s efficient, aggressive, and flexible, and all three of those things are great to have on a card. I know this isn’t the longest review, but this is a very strong creature and definitely one to keep an eye on going forward.
Constructed: 4.5
Casual: 4
Limited: 4.5 (it’s a 2/2 with two excellent keywords for 2 mana, even if you never use the other ability in Limited)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 4
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