Magic Misadventures Impressions: Ahri

Magic Misadventures LoR Spoilers Day 9

We’ve rumbled, we’ve Yordled, we’ve seen men fighting fate and gods but today we’re going deep into the fae-enchanted woods.

I’m Jordan “WhatAmI” Abronson and today a certain foxy lady has seen fit to grace us with her presence and I am hyped to roll out the red carpet for her.

Today is the final reveal day for Magic Misadventures! To see the previous days, check them out here.

Here are the card’s from Day 9 of Magic Misadventures Reveals:

• Ahri (Ionia champion)
• Charm/Ahri’s Charm (Ionia spell + Ahri’s champion spell)
• Children of the Forest
• Sai’Nen Thousand Tailed
• Windsinger

Ahri

• Ahri (level 1)
  • 2 mana 2|3 champion
  • Quick Attack
  • Text – Attack: The first time I attack strike, swap me with the ally to my right, then Recall it.
  • Level Up: You’ve Recalled 6+ units this game.

• Ahri (level 2)
  • 2 mana 3|4
  • Elusive, Quick Attack
  • Text – When you Recall an Ally reduce its cost by 1. Attack: Each time I attack strike, swap me with the ally to my right, then Recall it.

Wow, there is an awful lot going on here. So first of all, Ahri is the zero mana Recall synergy we have all been waiting for. No longer does it cost full cards and mana to recall units. This was the biggest weakness in the Recall based decks and seeing Ahri show up to shore it up is huge.

Secondly, every time you attack with Ahri onboard your ordering is going to be a huge deal. She’s going to end up fighting whatever your opponent’s units put to the right of her at level one, or at level two, she will jump all the way to the right recalling your entire board as she goes.

Thirdly, and this may be the most missed but most important factor here, two mana 2|3’s with added keywords are just really good. Elise doesn’t see much play anymore because the champion slot is extremely valuable, but giving that stat line to something that is already synergistic is a huge boon.

I think it will remain to be seen how good the recall archetype as a whole will be, because before Ahri showed up it was struggling. However, she is so impressive that it has a solid chance, and that is saying an awful lot.

Charm/Ahri’s Charm

• Charm
  • 2 mana Focus spell
  • Text – Recall an Ally to give an enemy Vulnerable this round.

If you look at the mana points involved this is pretty hard to main deck, even as a removal spell. However, with things like Kennen and Dancing Droplet, I could potentially see it happening.

It will be a very solid play as a second Ahri though, advancing the level condition and keeping the board clean of small pesky threats.

Children of the Forest

• Children of the Forest
  • 8 mana Slow spell
  • Text – Summon Ephemeral copies of the three strongest followers you’ve Recalled this game.

While it is impressively epic that this can steal your opponent’s units, the fact that this does not say “champions” on it, will, I think relegate this to either meme or extremely meta-dependent territory.

For eight mana you need to hard-swing board states, and I don’t know that this card does enough of that.

Sai’Nen Thousand Tailed

• Sai’Nen Thousand Tailed
  • 6 mana 3|3
  • Text – When I’m summoned, draw 2 and give all other allies +1|+1 this round.

Woof is a six mana 3/3 a big ask. Genevieve does the same stat buff and comes in as a 5/4 with scout and challenger. All that extra power has to go into those two cards that you draw then.
I think I could see this as potentially a one or two of as a top-end in Ionia aggro or midrange decks.

For this to be good you’ll need to either be able to weather the tempo hit, or already be ahead in tempo when this comes down so the board buff makes it tempo even.

Even though it says draw two, this doesn’t strike me as a control tool, unless you have a control deck that is doing its board management primarily through units.

Ionia Bandle Tree sounds cute, but is probably not the way to go.

Windsinger

• Windsinger
  • 6 mana 4|3
  • Text – Play: Skill: Recall a unit

Our second six mana follower of the day but going in completely different directions. If you are already playing a tempo deck and you hit your opponent’s six drop with this effect the game may simply end on the spot.

This card will definitely be meta-dependent, but if there are a bunch of large lads running around *cough* Pantheon *cough* then a tempo positive answer to them is a huge deal.

Expect to see this as a solid tech card if Ionia tempo decks have a resurgence.

Bonus Deck: BilgeFox

Deck code: CEDQIAQGBETDOPABAQBA6AIFBI5AGBICAQKRUAIBAIWACBIGBIAQIBQKAIAQIBQNAECQEBYA

[See WhatAmI’s Bilgefox deck details]

I think the Ahri package might be just enough to tie two concepts together that were always very cool but not quite powerful enough.

One drop tribal synergy and Marai Greatmother nonsense. What could be more fun than playing aggro all game and then dropping Skies Descend on someone’s head for three mana?

This deck looks like an absolute meme at first glance but the amount of tempo, card draw, and actual top-end nonsense that we are going to produce here makes me think this deserves an actual look.

And if this deck is good it will be the most hilarious thing to play, and the scariest thing to play against.

What do you play around when they could have anything? How do you run someone out of cards when they simply Recall their card draw and go again?

How many different questions do I have to ask before the article ends and we all rush off to madly brew our own decks with the awesome new cards?

Thanks for reading! For more impressions, check out the rest of our Magic Misadventures reveal articles.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask WhatAmI during his streams (Tuesday-Thursday around 3PM PST and weekends for tournaments).

WhatAmI streams at twitch.tv/xxwhatamixx around 10AM PST every day