Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Sept. 6, 2016, 4:58 a.m. by Homura_Akemi
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2RR
Planeswalker - Chandra
[+1]: Exile the top card of your library. You may cast that card. If you don't, Chandra, Torch of Defiance deals 2 damage to each opponent.
[+1]: Add RR to your mana pool.
[-3]: Chandra, Torch of Defiance deals 4 damage to target creature.
[-7]: You get an emblem with "Whenever you cast a spell, this emblem deals 5 damage to target creature or player."
Illus. Magali Villeneuve [4 loyalty]
This is a walker that demands an IMMEDIATE answer. If you can't pressure her, you lose. Plain and simple. The amount of value coming off of this card is massive. The turn after playing her, you'll have 7 mana, which means two potent spells, and probably lots of ways to protect your shiny new PW.
September 6, 2016 8:18 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #5
ItsNotGreen/10. But it's cool to have more 4-ability planeswalker.
September 6, 2016 9 a.m.
amazingdan says... #6
Modern playable for sure. I can see it in Blue Moon, Skred, and POSSIBLY Jund if they have a flex spot.
September 6, 2016 9:20 a.m.
mathimus55 says... #7
This card could be absolutely nutty in the RG Ponza deck that has been getting more and more popular. T2 Chandra into t3 Inferno Titan with all the pumps and protection.
September 6, 2016 10:07 a.m.
This will not be more than fringe in modern. This will not dominate standard.
September 6, 2016 12:51 p.m.
amazingdan Jund does not want this, as amazing as it is.
September 6, 2016 1:13 p.m.
Agreed. Also Blue Moon does not want sorcery speed card advantage.
Skred could use her but she's definitely worse than Koth.
September 6, 2016 2:21 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #14
How do you think she compares to Chandra, Pyromaster in Skred, Chief?
Pyromaster's +1 is invaluable in some matchups, but pretty meh in others. In matches where you want the CA, new Chandra is probably better, but I'm not sure if or how that could get worked in.
September 6, 2016 3:03 p.m.
Hit the nail on the head. Pyromasters +1 makes aggro cry. This one doesnt have that. The card advantage is better though.
September 6, 2016 3:10 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #16
Is the CA good enough to try a sideboard plan with them?
September 6, 2016 3:45 p.m.
mathimus55 says... #17
Against slower control decks I think it would be a fine sideboard card to try out at least. It at least gives you a sustainable way to keep damage coming through or get some extra damage out.
September 6, 2016 3:53 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #18
I feel like if you're playing Skred the CA will even out with the resources you have to spend to kill stuff.
Chandra flipping a Skred the turn after she etbs can really slow some decks down.
Maybe if the deck was tweaked to have more R sweepers and have Chandra draw you into them?
I feel like a retweak of the deck would be needed to mainboard new Chandra but I feel like it's better than pyromaster
September 6, 2016 7:06 p.m.
Lots of skred decks mainboard things like Anger of the Gods or Earthquake but this is why you don't need card advantage - because you have access to a large amount of X-for-1 options. So the pressure is off you because you're not just relying on 1-for-1 for the entire game. You have cards that function like 2, 3, 4+ killspells all at once.
September 6, 2016 7:12 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #20
Is a RW superfriends/Skred a possibility? The big issue there is that most of the powerful RW 'Walkers are four-drops. New Chandra, Ajani, Nahiri, old Chandra, etc.
I agree that the deck would need to be heavily tweaked to adjust to new Chandra and be able to protect her.
What are the most problematic matches for Skred?
September 6, 2016 7:38 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #21
I'm aware, I have a Skred deck (granted not updated in forever) but usually they only lean on 4 or so wipes. What I mean is if you bumped that number up to 6 or so the new chandra might start edging out Pyromaster.
September 6, 2016 8:01 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #22
Tron is an issue and twin WAS an issue. As far as right now? Tron is at 5% of this month's meta as of yesterday and Twin is obviously gone.
Other than that I'm not sure.
September 6, 2016 8:02 p.m.
Skred has a poor mid game around turns 2, 3, and 4 where it can struggle to goyf. In these turns the spell skred doesnt have enough snow lands to threaten the 3, 4, or 5 toughness dudes that are played. Roast is an option but obviously a 2 mana sorcery isnt ideal.
Skred suffers to noncreature decks like control because the entire deck is creature removal. It also suffers to merfolk because they frequently buff themselves out of burn range.
However things like zoo, affinity, infect are easy. BGx is 50-50. You have moon and super strong walkers but as i said goyf can be a problem. You'll lose to tron too because you know.... what do you do against karn haha. You CAN be soft to noncreature combo like ad naus because again.... skred doesnt hit instants and sorceries. Lots of these things can be sideboarded for (land destruction for tron, better removal for goyf, aggressive package to race combo).
Does white answer any problems? Yes it does actually. The ability to remove enchantments. Path helps versus tron and goyf. Nahiri card filters and removes everything. So white gives your control more reach but doesnt help much against combo. Maybe Deflecting Palm might? Even Mana Tithe could catch them out haha.
So yeah white can do stuff.
I like blue personally. Snapcaster doubles your removal spells and the best way to beat combo is obviously Dispel or Spell Pierce in the side. Against tron etc you still get red land destruction but snappy gives you a 2 mana clock and source of aggro which is nice.
Skred is pretty open to 1 colour splashes.
New chandra fits really nicely as card advantage in mono red. Move pyromaster to the side and maybe only use her against aggro. Though anger of the gods is maybe just better. Beauty of pyromaster is that shes a safe include. Against aggro she wins. Against anything else she draws. This new chandra isnt as "safe" because she essentially only draws.
4 koth / 2 chandra is playable.
Though Bedlam Reveler and Goblin Dark-Dwellers do a lot for card advantage. An awful lot.
September 6, 2016 8:03 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #24
So basically blue splash is a walker' heavy Blue Moon, lol.
I think I tend to like RW because I love Ajani Vengeant as a card. Not the most competitive reason, but a reason. Blue looks like the better choice since it helps shore up the bad matches.
New Chandra also sounds like she could be strong sideboard tech for control matches - getting CA while ticking her up is a huge threat, especially when they essentially lose if you ultimate her. Once she lands most control decks can only Bolt her, right? I guess Colonnade swings?
I'd also prefer her in the B/G/x matches where Pyromaster's + is pretty useless. Maybe not as much against Abzan with Lingering Souls, but definitely Jund. Being able to plus for CA is also good, and she wins the game if you (she) survive the grind.
September 6, 2016 8:32 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #25
Another reason for white is you can have access to Soulfire Grand Master as a SB card. Gain ALL the life. Skred for 5-6 with buyback is basically unbeatable.
September 6, 2016 9:07 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #26
That's a little disgusting...
What does the creature suite look like? Is Reckoner still a thing, or more GDD and Reveler? What about P&K?
September 6, 2016 9:11 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #27
Unsure, I haven't been using the deck for a while, I did see a version that was R/W that ran Mad Ajani
September 6, 2016 9:28 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #28
I threw together a very (VERY) rough list here.
I went for a higher-end creature curve, but I'm not sure how that will work in the current meta. Not overly familiar with the current meta ha.
September 6, 2016 9:34 p.m.
In Izzet burn this could be great playing this turn 4 pump it for 2 mana for a tormenting voice or an incendiary flow then next turn you could get the 2 Red or even exile top with confidence you could cast it with the type of curve that deck has.
capriom85 says... #2
Screw this card screw this card so hard. I just traded away all my red stuff in hopes to play UG then we get this.
September 6, 2016 5:30 a.m.