The first cards and mechanics from Amonkhet have already begun trickling out of research and design. While it’s not one hundred percent confirmed as real, the new Dusk // Dawn card is quite interesting, having caused quite a stir within the community. Whether you like it or hate its aesthetic design, the mechanics of this card have quite a lot of potential for some cool cards. So today, we are gonna look at exactly what the new card does, and then how similar, upcoming cards that utilize the same mechanic could turn out.
So without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the new card, Dawn // Dusk:
This card is basically a revamped version of the Flashback mechanic (potentially called Aftermath). However, unlike Flashback, the card counts as completely different spells, depending on how and where it was cast. It is essentially a split card, like Boom // Bust, but with a casting restriction and Flashback adorning one of the sides.
The first half of the spell, Dusk, is a sorcery that can be cast regularly from your hand for four mana. It reads, “Destroy all creatures that have power three or greater.” The second half of the card, Dawn, can only be cast as a sorcery from the graveyard. It reads, “Put all creature cards with power two or less from your graveyard to your hand.”
In all honesty, Dusk // Dawn seems like it could be pretty good in Standard, especially in a low-to-the-ground White Weenies deck or some other form of aggro. Wiping an opponent’s board and then getting all your little guys back later could be very beneficial in some games. It’ll definitely be seeing sideboard play – at least, if a strong White Weenies or similar deck becomes a contender in the meta. However, this card really seems like it could shine in EDH – especially in a Selesnya creature toolbox build or some form of a White artifact creature deck. A lot of impactful creatures and generals in the format are over or equal to power three, and a bunch of strong utility creatures are power two or under, so this is definitely a card to look out for in EDH. It is essentially a Wrath of God that has Flashback to return creatures to your hand, and it just seems like it could be really good in this format.
Since this card hasn’t been fully released yet, we don’t have any rulings on it. A lot of questions are still up in the air, and many feel like this card is going to be a rules nightmare. For example, how does this card interact with Snapcaster Mage? If you give it Flashback, does that mean you can Flashback the original spell? And then what is this spell’s converted mana cost? Does that depend on where it is? If it’s in your hand, is its CMC four, but five in the graveyard, or just always four with the Flashback ability being more like a “sub-card”?
What potential does this new mechanic have?
Regardless of some of the confusions about rules, this new Aftermath mechanic definitely does look like it has the potential to create some really awesome spells. We’ve gone and come up with some mock-ups of what it could look like for the other colors, as well as how it could work under a multi-color card.
Please note that none of these cards are official, and are just our thoughts on what these cards could end up being like. Some, if not all, of them could be completely wrong; these just serve as an example of what could end up being released in Amonkhet.
Blue
Normal Half: Vanishing Strike – 2U – Instant – Return target creature to its owner’s hand.
Flashback Half: Distortion Warp – UU – Instant – Counter target non-creature spell.
Red
Normal Half: Arcane Ritual – 1R – Sorcery – Add three red mana to your mana pool.
Flashback Half: Overflow – 1RR – Sorcery – Destroy target land.
Green
Normal Half: Call the Conclave – 3G – Sorcery – Put three 1/2 elf tokens on the battlefield.
Flashback Half: Run Amok – 2GG – Instant – Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
Black
Normal Half: Treacherous Assault – B – Sorcery – Pay three life: destroy target creature.
Flashback Half: Grave Thief – 2BB – Sorcery – Put target creature from your opponent’s graveyard into play under your control.
Blue Red
Normal Half: Pyromancer’s Rune – 1R – Enchantment – Instant/sorcery spells cost one less to cast.
Flashback Half: Delayed Reaction – 1U – Instant – Target instant/sorcery spell in your graveyard gains Flashback until end of turn.
Black White
Normal Half: Phase In – 2W – Instant – Exile target permanent you control and return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a phase counter on it.
Flashback Half: Phase Out – 3B – Sorcery- Sacrifice target creature with a phase counter on it: put two 2/2 black zombie creature tokens with lifelink into play.
We haven’t tested any of these examples, so they very well could be incredibly over- or underpowered. But we hope that they can serve as an example of some of the cool cards and interactions Wizards could create using the new mechanic.
While we still don’t know for certain what is to come for Amonkhet, Dawn // Dusk and the new revamped Flashback mechanic allude to this set being very unique mechanic-wise. But what do you think? Is this mechanic going to be really useful? Or just another flop that’s cool but not actually that good? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
And, as always, happy gaming!
zebotc
- A swords a day keeps the goyfs away.
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