Today, on December 15, 2016, Wizards of the Coast published an article on Magic: The Gathering Standard Showdown decks in preparation for their final events this upcoming Saturday. In that article, they also revealed a new card for the upcoming Aether Revolt - a new card in the Oath cycle that begun in Oath of the Gatewatch. The Oath cycle represents the moment in which a Planeswalker agrees to join the Gatewatch, and gives their reasoning for keeping watch over the Multiverse.
As seen below, the newest member of the Gatewatch is the leonin Planeswalker Ajani Goldmane, originally from the Nayan shard of Alara. His Oath, the Oath of Ajani, is a legendary enchantment with a casting cost of one green and one white mana; when it enters the battlefield, you put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. In addition, Planeswalker spells you cast will cost one less generic mana.
Our previous coverage of previews and leaks for Aether Revolt cards can be found in our coverage from November 29, December 4, December 5, December 6, and December 12, 2016.
Stay tuned to TechRaptor for further coverage on all things Magic: The Gathering.
Quick Take
Pleasantly surprised to see a non-mono colored Planeswalker join the Gatewatch, but it does make sense as the next block focuses on Nicol Bolas and Ajani is one of the few beings to have ever fought him and lived to tell the tale. From a gameplay perspective, the Oath of Ajani is an immensely strong addition to Green/White decks, especially in formats that don't have strong removal for enchantments (as is the case with the current Standard format). It's a bit too early to say for certain whether it will be a format defining card, as was the case with Smuggler's Copter, but it's safe to say it's a card that will see more than a fair bit of play due to its versatility and affordable casting cost.What are your thoughts on today’s spoiler? Let us know in the comment section below.