Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty EDH Set Review - Black
Animus of Night's Reach | Illustrated by Tuan Duong Chu
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Black EDH Set Review
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THE OLD IS NEW AGAIN!
I LOVE THIS PLANE I DON'T WANT TO WASTE TIME LET'S JUST DO THIS!!! I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH THE ART AND CARD DESIGN OF THIS SET!!!
The Mythics
Blade of the Oni
Solid black Equipment. No idea if I'm seeing this right, but it's interesting! Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale can give the reconfigure creatures Equip Knight 0! That's cool!
Junji, the Midnight Sky
The mythic Dragons in Kamigawa have a hell of a history, and the black one in particular has some huge shoes to fill. How does it stack up?
A modal death trigger will always be interesting to me. The new white mythic Dragon and Junji will both no doubt find homes in Teysa Karlov, but personally, I think Rakdos sacrifice decks like Lyzolda, the Blood Witch and the like will make good use of this bad boy. Not to mention Chainer, Dementia Master looking to snipe opponents' discarded creatures or discard decks making use of Geth's Grimoire. I love black decks and using death triggers, so I feel like I'll have at least a playset of these bad boys coming my way.
Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
Tamiyo's adoptive Nezumi son gets a legendary card! And it's bonkers! Obviously, Ninja tribal commanders are going to want this bad boy in their deck. It's like a mix between a selective Etali, Primal Storm and one-time Bolas' Citadel. Hey, Prosper, Tome-Bound players (that's me!), you're going to love this card! If you're building this as a commander, don't forget to pack some lifelink! Also, this isn't Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, you can't Ninjustu from the command zone.
The Rares
Biting-Palm Ninja
It's a Ninja, so here's the requisite Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow and tribal implications. There's some fun to be had with the Ninjutsu mechanic. Gavin Verhey did a whole video about exploiting the rules with it. It's fantastic, and given how many Ninjas there are coming this set, I recommend that everybody gets acquainted with this video. I think Proliferate shenanigans might be an interesting route, but ultimately, this feels just okay for our format. Probably a beating in Limited or 60-card formats.
Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos
While technically a multi-colored card for the Commander format, because I love all Mardu combinations, I wanted to talk about it! One of the first cards we got to see from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Hidetsugu is a sack outlet that can set up your turns and swing damage ANYWHERE HE DAMN PLEASES! Prosper, Tome-Bound decks might find a slot for him, but I foresee this Ogre Demon leading more decks than hanging in the 99. I will be testing Tsugu in all the decks I can. I really see potential in him and all the crazy colored printings.
Invoke Despair
A great example of the design team giving players a reason to play more monocolor decks! Check out our very own Jake Fitzsimons' article on the subject! The cycle looks pretty cool!
I think this is pretty brutal since it only targets one opponent, but if you end up targeting someone without a creature, enchantment, or planeswalker, you get them for 6 life and draw three cards. That's pretty cool. Having no selection over the permanents that get sacrificed makes this a bit of a pass for me.
March of Wretched Sorrow
Nick Wolf wants to put the in Vial Smasher the Fierce because it's an instant. So there's that? I'm not feeling it.
Mukotai Soulripper
I'm not sold on Vehicles in black, aside King Macar, the Gold-Cursed. It's a cheap beatdown if you need some black aggro, will most likely be seen in Standard or make for easy wins in Limited. Otherwise, I don't know that we'll see this much.
Myojin of Grim Betrayal
The set's set booster exclusives bring us a new Myojin cycle, and frankly, big fan. You do need to cast them from your hand to get what makes them so interesting, which is a big blow to Chainer, Nightmare Adept decks and the like, but the effects are really cool and powerful. "All creature cards in all graveyards that were put there from anywhere this turn." Mill, discard, wraths, this can be insane. Let's see where it goes!
Ruthless Technomancer
Another set booster exclusive that will turn some heads. Disciple of Bolas that makes Treasure instead of drawing you cards. Those are pretty good, I hear. But get this: 2B and sacrifice X artifacts, WHERE'S THE TAP SYMBOL?! You can reanimate a creature from your graveyard based on their power. There are some really good lower-power creatures, and I, for one, might find a spot for this guy in my Prosper, Tome-Bound list. Bring back your Dockside Extortionist or Eternal Witness or Solemn Simulacrum or Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Opposition Agent or Pitiless Plunderer or even clone effects, like Spark Double or Phyrexian Metamorph or... or...
I love reanimation strategies, and this friggin' rules.
Soul Transfer
Chances are if you're putting this in your lists, you'll be able to meet the criteria for both modes, so exiling a creature/planeswalker and returning one from your graveyard to your hand for three mana is pretty sweet. Otherwise, it's just fine.
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
The Gitrog Monster and Sidisi, Brood Tyrant are gonna love this. My planeswalker Aminatou, the Fateshifter build (WHO I AM HAVING ALTERED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH) will appreciate some planeswalker recursion. I dig this card! I think there are some cool applications for sure.
Tatsunari, Toad Rider
Sultai enchantress! Get yourself some Rancors and Attunements and Broken Fall/Molting Skins. Is it finally time for Leshrac's Sigil to come party? Get your Whip Silks!
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail
I don't know what to think of this card just yet. My first instinct is jam it with Night of Souls' Betrayal or Kaervek, the Spiteful and a Vicious Shadows or Black Market and get six triggers from those. But it feels like the Rats being Rogues might have something cool going on or maybe Standardize, Unnatural Selection, or Mistform Mutant can turn opponents' key creatures into Rats before the flip side's ETB. Either way, enjoy, Grismold, the Dreadsower players!
Notable Uncommons and Commons
Debt to the Kami
Some instant-speed removal for a board that's about to get out of hand. Smack the Smothering Tithe player before they get another enchantment down!
Dockside Chef
Enchantment creature to trigger some Constellation or Daxos the Returned with a solid ability. Trade in an artifact or creature for a card and 1B, that's a good deal.
Enormous Energy Blade
lol
Go-Shintai of Hidden Cruelty
Shrines are back, baby! This one ain't great, but if you've got this in a deck, you've probably got more Shrines, and then it's one mana, destroy most creatures.
Gravelighter
This is an interesting take on edict effects. You can't loop this like a Fleshbag Marauder or Plaguecrafter to remove creatures, but if you find a way to get this guy to play multiple times, you'll end up at least drawing a few cards. Play this, sacrifice it to itself, attack with Sun Titan, bring Gravelighter back out and that's some card draw. It's different!
Lethal Exploit
Some cool tech for Kathril, Aspect Warper decks trying to get rid of pesky indestructible creatures.
Nezumi Prowler
A one-time Basilisk Collar for a creature you control on ETB. Interesting combat trick. Not to mention the Ninjustu stuff in the video mentioned earlier.
Okiba Salvage
A big mana value reanimation spell that buffs the creature from your yard by two +1/+1 counters if you've got an artifact and enchantment. But what's this? You can recur a Vehicle, too? Hell yeah.
Undercity Scrounger
Creatures die all the time. This ain't Pitiless Plunderer, but I feel like it being an artifact might be something. Voltaic Construct might be a piece, I'm not a combo guy, but like something there, right?
Unforgiving One
Excellent inclusion for a Felisa, Fang of Silverquil or Kathril, Aspect Warper deck. Got a bunch of tokens with a Cathars' Crusade out? This guy swings out and reanimates any creature from your yard. Solid uncommon!
You Are Already Dead
Great card name.
A SUCCESSFUL RETURN
All in all, the black cards in this set have some BIG hits and some alright-you-tried misses. A lot of cards in this set make me wonder what they'd look like in action and I AM SUPER CURIOUS!
Fave cards: Junji, the Midnight Sky, Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion,
