Core 2019 Set Review - Artifacts and Lands

So we're here again. The end of the set review. It always feels sad when things end but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them while they last and I hope you all have. Today we're looking at all of the artifact and lands from Core 2019, a lot of mechanical hijinks and mana mayhem to come your way, so why don't we get started.



Amulet of Safekeeping

In my mind this artifact is meant to combat Mardu Pyromancer in Modern. It comes down early and deters any direct damage or discard spells they could throw at you while also making the tokens Young Pyromancer produces almost useless. An additional mana might not sound like much but Modern decks tend to be a lot more streamlined with the mana curve and land split, that means that factoring in that extra one mana could be the key to slowing them down. In limited Amulet of Safekeeping could be fine, it’s really reactive so I would prefer not to play it but as a two mana artifact it’s going to count in a couple of ways as well.

Arcane Encyclopaedia

It’s Jayemdae Tome but better. Arcane Encyclopaedia helps your artifact count, gives you a consistent card advantage engine and the colourless nature allows any deck to play it in limited. You don’t want more than one as they do have diminishing returns but one is more than enough if you can get yourself far enough into the game.

Chaos Wand

This card is bonkers. Imagine using Chaos Wand to find your opponent’s removal spell for their own creature, that’s like a two for zero as you’re using your opponent’s card to get rid of their other card. On top of that whichever spell you find gets exiled if cast so your opponent won’t even get access to it. Chaos Wand is costed out of constructed and that’s definitely correct. A limited bomb.

Crucible of Worlds

Maybe I’m missing something but I’m not sure why Crucible of Worlds has seen a reprint in Core 2019. It’s a great artifact but I don’t see a place for it in Standard and it’s already available in Modern, the only reason I could think of is availability to players. It probably won’t do anything in limited but maybe there is a Standard deck waiting for it.

Desecrated Tomb

This is an interesting card. At the moment Desecrated Tomb effects cards with Eternalise and Embalm, both mechanics that are constructed play. It also counts card like Scrapheap Scrounger and The Scarab God, both cards that see a lot of constructed play, which increases Desecrated Tomb’s value immensely. Drop Tomb on then three and each time you rebuy your Scrapheap Scrounger you get a Bat for good measure. This Bat can give you presence in the air during combat along with a creature with evasion to help you get over the top. I imagine when we return to Ravnica later on in the year there will be a mechanic that enables Desecrated Tomb even more, like Scavenge could, so maybe it will shine later on in the metagame. As for limited, I don’t see it making a huge impact as there aren’t many applications for it but it does add to your artifact count and there are cards that exile your graveyard so it is possible.

Diamond Mare

This is a good limited creature. It’s colourless, it’s cheap, it sits on defence nicely and it gains you life. Diamond Mare may not be as impressive as the other “Mare” cycle cards but it will do work for you in limited and in multiples the life gain becomes really hard to deal with.

Dragon’s Hoard

So even without any dragons in your deck Dragon’s Hoard is still a Manalith, which is worth playing. If you can fuel the dragon side of it and get some counters in this three mana artifact the card advantage could allow you to pull away from your opponent. An ability like this opens up options and could give you the edge you need to take a game. Play it all the time in limited no matter how many dragons you have, as for constructed it could be good as it ramps you to your dragons but it could also be a bit glass canon-y.

Explosive Apparatus

It’s Shock in a bottle. It does cost four times as much but you get a permanent out of it that is also an artifact. In a pinch this removal spell can do but it’s a 23rd card.

Field Creeper

It’s a colourless two mana 2/1. Field Creeper is worse than a grizzly bear because of its colourless nature and the only reason I can see playing this is if you really need another creature or artifact.

Fountain of Renewal

A cheap artifact that gives you consistent life gain and can turn into an additional card in the late game. I really like Fountain of Renewal in limited because it lets you pick when you want the card so it can help get around discard spells. I could see this making it to constructed if an artifact deck gains mainstream recognition.

Gargoyle Sentinel

Gargoyle Sentinel is a great blocker that sits well on your curve, it can also turn evasive attacker when it needs to for just three mana. It also adds to you artifact count without being a bad card, this guy could be a limited player.

Gearsmith Guardian

Maybe I’m a bit jaded but I would expect a five mana creature to be a 5/5 off the bat. Don’t give it any abilities I’m fine with that but a 3/5 seems a little under the curve. Gearsmith Guardian sits near the top of your curve in limited, you probably only want one, maybe two, but they are good at blocking and when you have a blue creature they’re fine attackers. It’s probably still worth playing Gearsmith Guardian even if you aren’t playing blue and really need a creature.

Magistrate’s Scepter

This card could have been so easily broken if they had costed it any cheaper. Three mana to cast and for to activate puts it just outside of constructed play even when you think about the combo with Winding Constrictor. Drop the snake and then Magistrate’s Scepter and the following turn you can put two counters on the Scepter. This combo cuts a turn from getting your additional turn and yes two Constrictors does essentially allow you to go infinite but that’s so much work. In limited it might be worth trying but it’s a dead artifact for a couple of turns and does require work put in for one turn.

Manalith

Play it in limited always, it lets you splash a colour and ramps you.

Marauder’s Axe

Pretty standard set up. I don’t mind equipment - I like them a lot more than auras though - as they hang around if things go wrong for the creature involved. Marauder’s Axe gives you a little bit extra to help you trade up in combat, it’s good to have around in limited when you have flyers or other creatures with evasion but in a ground skirmish you will spend a lot of your time re-equipping it after every combat.

Meteor Golem

Sure it’s costly, sure it’s only a 3/3 but the ability is more than worth playing Meteor Golem. You only want one but even on its own it will do work in limited.

Millstone

You gotta love Millstone. It keeps coming back even though no one wants to play it, even in limited it’s easy to gloss over it. The only time you would play this in limited is if you have like three copies and even then the rest of your deck needs to fall into the theme of milling your opponent.

Rogue’s Gloves

This is the type of equipment I want in limited. Rogue’s Gloves can come down early and they offer decent card advantage if you can suit up a creature with evasion. You play one in limited because if your creature so get through consistently there’s a small chance you could deck yourself, though you and opponent should be dying before that happens.

Sigiled Sword Of Valeron

I had a hard to understanding that this was the correct cost for an equipment with these abilities. Three mana cost and three to equip for +2/+0 and Vigilance, fine. Each time it attacks you get a 2/2 Vigilance knight that is also attacking, now it’s starting to get good because it not only gives you an additional attacker but because of the Vigilance that knight is also an additional blocker. Sigiled Sword Of Valeron makes every part of combat much more awkward for your opponent, just imagine equipping this to a creature with flying and guaranteeing to hit while also keeping your opponent busy with the 2/2. Limited all star in my opinion and with cards like Sram and Danitha in standard this Sword could be a constructed player too.

Skyscanner

Three mana to draw a card isn’t the best but by no means the worst. Skyscanner also adds to your artifact count and is a creature with evasion, despite it being very small. I like it in limited mainly because it replaces itself but that’s about it.

Suspicious Bookcase

This card smacks of top down design. I love the name and the art and the effect is very in theme, on the whole though Suspicious Bookcase blocks well and allows you to force your best creature through. Could be a limited player depending how slow your opponent’s deck is.

Transmogrifying Wand

A three mana artifact with sorcery speed removal for one mana. The worst part about Transmogrifying Wand is that it’s not really removal as it leaves a 2/4 Ox behind, so they have a decent blocker at least. You still play this in limited because it’s a cheap artifact that can give you an out to your opponent’s huge bomb creatures that you otherwise couldn’t deal with.

Lands

Common Dual cycle

Cinder Barrens
Forbidden Sanctuary
Foul Orchard
Highland Lake
Meandering River
Stone Quarry
Submerged Boneyard
Timber Gorge
Tranquil Expanse
Woodland Stream

 These lands aren't worth dwelling on much. They're all common dual lands, they all come into play tapped and add one of two colours, good for splashing and fixing your mana in limited.

Detection Tower

I quite like this card. I’m fairly certain Detection Tower was designed for modern, specifically Leyline of Sanctity, it gives decks like Burn and Storm actual game rather than having to wait and find their one answer. In standard it helps deal with Carnage Tyrant which isn’t nothing but with Settle the Wreckage and Fumigate still seeing play that’s not hard. The main thing about Detection Tower is that it’s a colourless land that any deck can play. It’s probably a one of, maybe two of in Mono Red, as for limited it does help deal with Palladia-Mors and Chromium but that could be a big ask when one or both of the Elder Dragons are staring you down from across the table. I think this will be a player in constructed.

Reliquary Tower

Great colourless lands for the control decks. No one likes discarding to hand size at the end of your turn, all that stops with Reliquary Tower.

Rupture Spire

Great in limited but no one wants to play a land in constructed that functionally costs two mana, even if it is a Utopia.

You'd think that would bring us to the end of our set review but you'd be wrong. For the eagle-eyed of you you may have noticed another article on that home page, one for the Planeswalker Decks. To really round off the week of set reviews I thought I'd give you guys an extra little something just because I love you all so much.

If any of these cards has sparked your deckbuilding brain then why not let us know on twitter at @gcgamingtank and if you're after any single from Core 2019 then be sure to check out www.arcanecardshop.co.uk. Keep checking back to Game Changers for more gaming news, updates and set reviews and as always, Happy gaming guys!