Over 80 cards are making their way to Magic Arena in the next digital-only set Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate.
Cards from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate and new digital-only cards will be packaged into a new Arena set scheduled for release on July 7. These cards will be legal in Alchemy, Historic, and Historic Brawl.
Spoiler season is underway and will provide a glimpse of which cards will be introduced to Arena untouched, and which will be completely different from their paper counterparts. This is the first full Alchemy set that will be draftable and include all the normal Arena release products that a Standard set has.
The set will introduce three new mechanics called Specialize, Double Team, and Boon. Many of the cards from Battle for Baldur’s Gate were changed to include the new mechanics or work better for two-person formats.
One card that got changed was Tasha, the Witch Queen who now becomes Tasha, Unholy Archmage.
Tasha, Unholy Archmage
- Mana value: 2UB
- Type: Legendary Planeswalker Tasha
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Starting loyalty: Four
- First ability: +1: Until your next turn, whenever a Creature attacks you or Tasha, Unholy Archmage, put a -1/-1 counter on that Creature.
- Second ability: -2: Target opponent puts a Creature card of their choice from their graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. That Creature gains ward 2.
- Third ability: -6: Target opponent reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal three Creature cards. Put those cards onto the battlefield under your control. That player puts the rest into their graveyard.
This four-mana planeswalker could make an impact on Alchemy with its three solid abilities. Starting at four loyalty, Tasha won’t likely immediately die to the first attack directed toward it. The +1 is a weak form of protection but does stifle the plethora of aggro decks in Alchemy.
The -2 will make or break Tasha as a card. A U/B deck will likely run plenty of removal to ensure the opponent’s graveyard is stocked with creature cards by the time Tasha enters the battlefield. The opponent gets the choice of which creature enters the battlefield under your control. They will pick the worst creature in the graveyard, but it does get a slight buff with ward.
Running graveyard hate can help reduce the opponent’s options of what creature to give you. With cards like the Viconia, Nightsinger’s Disciple, you can exile the bad creatures and leave the opponent with no choice.
The ultimate will most likely win the game. Getting three free creature cards is enough to overwhelm the opponent. Reaching six loyalty isn’t ridiculous for a U/B control shell.
