Reviewing Innistrad: Midnight Hunt "Coven Counters" EDH Precon

The green/white Coven Counters EDH Precon from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt features some pretty solid stuff and really good reprints. It feels interesting and oddly rewarding. This is a deck that at first glance makes me think I have to be hyper aware of my board state at all times. I can't wait to give it a try. Let's dive in and talk about the new stuff.

The Legends

Leinore, Autumn Sovereign

Kicking things off with the face commander of this deck. This card embodies exactly the name of the deck - Coven mechanic and +1/+1 counters. I love it. Triggering at combat instead of upkeep or end step so you can actually do something with not only the buff you can distribute but also the card you draw is fantastic. The placement of the counter is a may ability so you're not forced to potentially ruin your coven trigger! Get that card draw, bud!

Kyler, Sigardian Emissary

Wow. Okay. Having played against a Sigarda, Heron's Grace deck this week (shout out Andrew Floury) I thought, Selesnya Human Tribal lists probably don't have a better commander. Then we got this previewed the next day. Big beefy commander anthem who buffs up when a Human lands, that's spicy. Could be fragile and at 5 mana (lol in green, who are we kidding), it might not be the most competitive, but it encourages swinginess and I can get behind it!

Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant

The new mono-colored legend in this deck is one I'm hearing some chatter about. I won't lie, I am not entirely sure why. From what I can tell, this is a support card in the right shell. It requires the target to have a +1/+1 counter on it to protect it from damage only. I think there's something here but truly I cannot see what exactly it is. Experiment Kraj is the one I can think of where you can also protect your opponents' creatures if you're getting use out of them. I'm not sure!

New White Cards

Celestial Judgment

Magical Christmasland: you have a creature of every power and choose to save those and destroy the rest, that's a one-sided board wipe, you are the champion of this game that's incredible good for you!

Reality, chances are you'll have to choose some of your stuff to save and you may not be able to get rid of the 22/22 staring at you across the board.

I don't really know why I'd pick this wrath over many others unless the deck calls for it which is...why I like this so much! It's narrow, it's for commander in that way. I run Fumigate in a lifegain deck. I run Phyrexian Rebirth in my token doubling deck. Celestial Judgment might be for this coven deck and little else, but honestly, cool! There might be some cool times where you've got a 2/2 and your opponents have armies of 2/2s and that's going to be dope for sure too. I really think this could be good and fun, but I'm already thinking of Divine Reckoning and Promise of Loyalty you know?

Curse of Conformity

Spooky art, I love it. This is a tribal hoser but could still pump. It's so strange. This could be less curse and more just buff for yourself. Thalisse, Reverent Medium decks that poop out flying 1/1s? Yeah, those are 3/3s now and they're not spirits anymore. If they're not spirits anymore, Requiem Angel, Zulaport Cutthroat and a sacrifice outlet while this curse is on you...that's game unless somebody can interrupt. I'm not a fan of infinite combos, but I'll say that I wasn't fired up about this card's potential but now I can see there's some funky stuff afoot.

Moorland Rescuer

I think this card is spicy. The exile clause on it keeps it from looping, which is good and also bad. In the right deck, maybe a Kyler, Sigardian Emissary deck, this pal can stack up to hella heights and be big time board wipe insurance. You can get your whole board back and get Kyler's power back up again. This is a cool knight. I want to test it out for sure.

Sigarda's Vanguard

Sneaky combat trick and pumps on the offensive. The coven element (different powers theme) can be tough to balance, but you're in control. I'd say if you can give 2 or 3 creatures double strike as you swing, that's pretty huge. Although True Conviction is one more mana (and two more pips) away, this is an angel and has flash. Let's see how this one plays out for folks! Could be decent.

Stalwart Pathlighter

Fragile with the one toughness! Coven clause triggers on your combat only, allowing you to swing with little worry. Vigilance on this guy almost seems stupid because whyyyyy would I want to block with it. That said, I'm not going to complain it's there, it IS an advantage. This could be sneaky in my Brash Taunter Sevinne, the Chronoclasm deck. Boros Reckoner and Spitemare and Body of Knowledge don't have indestructible, but if I pop a Blasphemous Act after combat with them out and the Pathlighter's ensured their saftety, that could be an unexpected little twist!

Wall of Mourning

I want to love this one really bad. Wall of Omens just flat out draws you a card. This one exiles three (usually) and you can pick one at your end step if you meet the Coven clause. 0 power also helps with Coven as stated with Leinore. I feel like this will work more often than I expect. Blink decks might make use of this to dig a little further. I run Aminatou, the Fateshifter for my blink commander, so I don't know how many creatures will join this wall's coven, but I'm willing to try it.

New Green Cards

Celebrate the Harvest

Explosive Vegetation gets you two lands to play so I am hoping for the same or better from Celebrate the Harvest. It for sure feels deck dependent just like Celestial Judgment. I think if you can Noble Hierarch and Llanowar Elves into Paradise Druid, I'd say you're definitely playing green, but then I'd also say why play Celebrate the Harvest when Harvest Season nets you the same for one less mana? Truly depends on the deck! I'm not high on this one.

Curse of Clinging Webs

I hate this one so much but in the way that Joey Schultz hates graveyard hate. I love playing aristocrats and if somebody hits me with this, I am going to be soooooo upset. This is great. It EXILES nontoken creatures hitting the yard and gives the curse owner a chump blocker to stave off the retaliation. Solid.

Heronblade Elite

Green card does green card things with Human tacked on. This can be a beating. Lots of humans come down, swing because vigilance and then use your mana post-combat to do more shenanigans. This is strong, definitely requires a Human Tribal shell, but yeah I'm shrugging because like...green! It's doing what it does!

Ruinous Intrusion

Instant speed artifact or enchantment removal with upside can be great. There's always that one pillowfort deck that feels untouchable, but it's time for "at the end step before my turn, I play Ruinous Intrusion exiling your Sphere of Safety, put 5 counters on my commander and go to my turn." Somebody wants to swing at me with their Blightsteel Colossus? No problem! Party time!

Sigardian Zealot

Coven clause in effect, but this is pretty sweet. Granting vigilance over trample doesn't always make this a game ender, but not having to attack can make it a bit of a surprise. I can dig this one plenty, just gotta see it in action.

Somberwald Beastmaster

Can somebody tell me why the 3/3 and the 4/4 are beasts but the 2/2 is a wolf? Come on, give us a 3/3 Elk instead! Flavorwise, I have a problem with this, but blink decks or Ghired, Conclave Exile decks are going to love this. This thing comes down and automatically gives you Coven. Panharmonicon and Parallel Lives and Anointed Procession, talk about magical Christmasland, but I'm salivating. Give the team trample and wait...what's this? Tokens also get deathtouch? Cool. Okay, it's cool, but 7 mana? Oh my god, it makes sense, but also jeeeez, but also, okay. It'll be cool where decks want it, but I can't predict this will be around a lot.

"Mike please stop talking, you type too much" -Mike's editors

Well, I'm done! I genuinely really like the new Midnight Hunt Commander decks and would love to face them off head to head. They're both tribal decks that have a lot going for them and they seem really, really fun. The overall Commander format implications of some cards seem unclear. I don't think there's a Dockside Extortionist in the new cards but I can definitely feel myself eyeing a few cards for inclusion.

Later nerds!

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