Return to Dust

Instant

Exile target artifact or enchantment. If you played this spell during one of your main phases, you may exile up to one other target artifact or enchantment.

Discussion (51)

DemonDragonJ on Strixhaven spoiler season

3 weeks ago

Black and white are my two favorite colors in this game, so, naturally, I am excited about the cards in the black and white deck.

Tempting contract is nice, but very unreliable, so I am not certain if I can put it into any of my current decks.

Felisa, fang of Silverquill is nice, but nothing spectacular, and I notice that many cards that are associated with Silverquill generate inkling tokens, just as many cards that are associated with Quandrix generate fractal tokens.

I do not like the wording on combat calligrapher; would it really have taken up too much space to write “whenever a creature attacks one of your opponents, its controller creates…etc.?”

Return to Dust has already been reprinted numerous times, so I dearly wish that WotC had instead reprinted Heliod's Intervention in this set, since that card has been printed only once, and is better in the majority of situations.

Guardian archon is definitely a great card, but its controller shall need to find a way to “flicker” it to truly get great value from it, but that should not be difficult to do, in white. I also like that this is the second card in the game with the text “secretly choose an opponent” and “activate this ability only once,” after Stalking Leonin .

Nils, discipline enforcer is a perfect example of white’s authoritarian nature, and he will definitely be annoying for many players whose decks rely upon putting +1/+1 counters on their creatures; I have a deck with Atraxa, Praetors' Voice as the general, so he could definitely hinder that deck, if I cannot deal with him, quickly. At least he does not have flash, because that would make him ridiculous.

Promise of loyalty will definitely lead to some very complicated political dealings in games that have more than two players, so I will be interested to see how it works.

Sponsorship scholar is another example of how card advantage works in white, and, even better, it allows players to search for any basic lands, not merely plains! Finally, WotC is making white more powerful and helping it to reach the other colors in terms of power!

I really like author of shadows; first, that artwork is amazing, and, second, the effect is very sinister, and will definitely turn the tide of a game, if used properly.

Bold plagiarist is the latest in a long line of cards that punish players who seek to gain advantage, but, at least, this one does not actually stop them from gaining advantage; it merely copies their advantage. Why is it that the opponent is the one who places the counters on the plagiarist, and not the controller of the plagiarist?

In a similar manner, cunning rhetoric is a continuation of black’s ability to discourage an opponent from attacking one’s self, and punishing them, if they do.

Fain, the broker, has serious potential for powerful combos, and could definitely lead to major shifts in games if used properly.

Incarnation technique would be good for either my Mimeoplasm or my Teneb, the Harvester decks, but I cannot remove and existing cards to make room for it.

With keen duelist, I first am very glad that there are still black wizards in this game, now that warlocks are a creature type, and, second, a symmetrical Dark Confidant will definitely lead to some major politics and bargains between players, and it should go without saying that the best way to use it is with the ability to manipulate your own deck, such as with Crystal Ball or Sensei's Divining Top .

Stinging study is a nice way to take advantage of a general with a higher casting cost, especially if that general has been sent back to the command zone at least once, and has become too expensive to reliably recast; given that that card costs 5 mana to cast, I say that a player should have a general with a converted mana cost of at least 5 to truly get good value from it.

Inkshield is like Batwing Brume on steroids, but its high mana cost does mean that it will require strategy and careful timing to be used most effectively; I personally think that it could have cost 4 mana and still have been perfectly balanced.

As for the reprints, did we really need another reprint of Zetalpa, Primal Dawn or Sun Titan ? However, the reprints of Utter End , Oblation , Magister of Worth , and Mikokoro, Center of the Sea are all welcome, and I am glad that WotC has finally reprinted Deathbringer Liege , because that card very badly needed to be reprinted.

Overall, WotC has really increased the quality of this year’s Commander product, compared to those from previous years, so I hope that every Commander product has this level of quality, from this point forward.

berserkerazn on Queen Marchesa

4 weeks ago

I spoke to iamhikari:

Plan: Pivot towards aristocrats, lower the CMC, maybe more taxing. Though I think going more into the Monarch theme might be more fun/unique. We can try this first:

For starters:

-1 Beseech the Queen
-1 Deliver Unto Evil
-1 Wild Ricochet
-1 Call the Coppercoats
-1 Assemble the Legion

Mana fix and ramp:

-1 Worn Powerstone
-1 Gilded Lotus
+1 Exotic Orchard
+1 Talisman of Conviction
+1 Wayfarer's Bauble
+1 Talisman of Hierarchy ...can also +1
Talisman of Indulgence , but it's slightly pricier.

Expand reach and lower CMC of your removal:

-1 Return to Dust
-1 Terminate
-1 Comeuppance
+1 Chaos Warp
+1 Generous Gift ....alternatively there are some 2 mana removal cards in Strixhaven that might be fun to try out.
+1 either Path to Exile or the cheaper Dire Tactics
+1 Soul-Guide Lantern

Fun monarch theme and control: +1 Court of Grace
+1 Court of Ambition
-1 Black Market
-1 Ixalan's Binding

Pivot to Aristocrats:

-1 Neheb, the Eternal
-1 Thief of Blood
-1 Tectonic Giant
+1 Cruel Celebrant
+1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
+1 Bastion of Remembrance

Still need to deal with your creatures and maybe do some more token generation or something. I'll keep thinking and get back to you.

DevoMelvminster on Bounce and Ye Shall Be Healed

1 month ago

Lots of changes in this revision:

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is out for Heliod, Sun-Crowned . Heliod will make things bigger and bigger as we gain life, which may help us with a combat win, which is all Elesh norn really did, but also can stack a ton of counters on one creature to sac to Altar of Dementia . Yay mill wins!

Cavalier of Dawn is out for Skyclave Apparition . Apparition was a great suggestion by muddbones and is more abusable than Cavalier. Lowers the cmc curve, and I am not going to miss the possible enchantment recurral. We got that covered.

Odric, Lunarch Marshal is out for Mardu Woe-Reaper . Odric helps with combat wins, but Akroma's Will does it better, and doubles as protection. I hardly ever swing for the win anyways, and the reaper is another cheap creature, and it’s ability will be triggered by ever zombie God-Eternal Oketra makes. Should keep graveyards nice and empty and help against decks that rely on them being filled. Did I mention it gains us LIFE too? Sweet card.

Return to Dust was dropped for Suture Priest . I keep going back and forth with Return... I’ll probably find another spot for it, since I’m a but light on non-creature removal anyways, but for now I wanted more Soul Warden effects. The bonus damage to opponents is nice too.

Austere Command and a Plains were dropped for Ancient Den and Flagstones of Trokair . Den is mostly for turning on Inventors' Fair to tutor out a win, and flagstones synergizes really well with Lotus Field .

Still thinking about adding Test of Endurance or Felidar Sovereign but not sure where. Let me know what y’all think of the changes.

awmyers7216 on The knights who say nee

1 month ago

In: Zirda, the Dawnwaker

Out: Return to Dust

HorrorLegend on Trans Rights (Alesha)

1 month ago

Awesome deck! Love the commander. Certainly one of those I love seeing at the table because I know there's going to be a lot of fun.

Some recommendations for cuts: Ancestral Blade seems kind of weak for the deck. Give you a token you cant recur with Alesha and only gives +1/+1. Boros Signet and Rakdos Signet , as I don't generally like the signet's, but I know a lot of people like them. Promise of Tomorrow seems like a good win con card, but it doesn't work with this deck since Alesha want's to bring creatures back from the graveyard. Inspiring Captain seems like a good card for the deck, but you cant bring it back with Alesha and really will only help once or twice at best. Archetype of Aggression , Rogue's Passage , Demystify , Return to Dust , Shimmering Grotto , and Take Vengeance , are other cut's ID make personally. They don't add enough or do enough and there better options available.

I would add Savai Triome , Path of Ancestry , Helm of the Host , and Sigiled Sword of Valeron . You could just swap a basic land for the Triome.

I would consider switching: Act of Treason for Act of Aggression , and Murder for Go for the Throat .

I could see Rise of the Dark Realms being an awesome card with this deck, but it fits in almost all deck hahah.

I hope these recommendations helped. Upvote from me.

DevoMelvminster on Bounce and Ye Shall Be Healed

1 month ago

Omniscience_is_life these are great suggestions, thank you.

I have a Dawn of Hope , and often contemplate putting it in, but always decide against it. It’s no worse a return than sacing a clue token, but it does require me to have some sort of life gain online before I can draw. I also dislike that it’s a trigger, where as clue tokens (using these as an example because of comparable cost and function) sit around until I need cards, and help get Inventors' Fair online so i can tutor out a win con if needed. As for Return to Dust ; you’re right, and I have cut it several times, but I keep adding it back in. It’s solid, and can be used instant speed if needed. The added option of using it sorcery speed is maaaaaybe worth it being expensive? Still unsure on it.

Heliod, Sun-Crowned is an amazing suggestion. I honestly never thought about putting him in, but will strongly contemplate it. He can make stuff bigger to swing in (often at instant speed, with bounce creatures!) or makes one massive zombie to Altar of Dementia someone out of the game. I am SERIOUSLY considering this card. Maybe I’ll ditch ol’ dusty return for this?

You’re also right in that I need mana rocks that tap for colored mana, that’s why I don’t run Mind Stone or, as you suggested, Fellwar Stone , and am even running crap like Marble Diamond . Also, i am the only one who plays white in my group, so running fellwar is basically a worse mind stone. Coalition Relic is a little bit slow, but I honestly really like it. It can get me an extra 2 mana the turn after it comes out, for a bursty little push, and then isn’t just laying there if I don’t need to tap it for a turn. It often helps get Oketra online earlier, even if I miss a 4th land drop. I love it.

Thanks again for the suggestions! I love looking at new ways to improve this deck.

Omniscience_is_life on Bounce and Ye Shall Be Healed

1 month ago

Dawn of Hope seems like a necessary evil here. I might cut Return to Dust for it--Return costs a lot and playing at sorcery speed is never fun.

Heliod, Sun-Crowned and Walking Ballista are an infinite combo if you're into that sort of thing, but even just by himself The Sun God is a good'n.

Coalition Relic is very powerful but slow. You do need a lot of colored mana in this deck though... would Fellwar Stone suffice?

proterran98 on Priority

2 months ago

It’s my main phase and I have a Nekusar, the Mindrazer and a Dream Halls in play. I cast Echo of Eons through dream halls, it resolves. Me and my opponents draw 7 cards and they get dealt 7 damage. Now, is it possible to cast all at once without passing priority Torbran, Thane of Red Fell and Day's Undoing through dream halls before my opponent cast Return to Dust through dream halls and thus doing 21 damage (7 new cards drawn)

Side note: with nekusar and days undoing, do you deal damage before you end the turn or does day’s undoing not work with nekusar?