Homebrew Pick of the Week: Meddling Mage

This week I decided to highlight one of the more notorious cards released in the Alara Reborn set: Meddling Mage. MM is a very interesting card and is pretty powerful in its own right but when combined with other certain other spells it makes for an even more explosive play environment.



Strengths:

- Efficient cost to power ratio: 2/2 for 2 mana with an amazing ability
- Combines well with numerous existing cards that let you look at an opponent’s hand
(Thoughtseize, Tidehollow Sculler, Telepathy, Vendilion Clique)

- Takes entire decks out of the game (i.e.-Swans)

- Its 2 power makes it a great Lark Target

- Can play it early to take out opponent’s early drops

Weaknesses:

- Dies to mass DD cards like Volcanic Fallout (of course you could just name Volcanic Fallout when you play your mage ;))

- Dies to every popular removal card (this isn’t really a negative because most cards do, but it is an inherent weakness in small, non-black and non artifact creatures)

- Is a creature doing an enchantment’s job and most of the time creatures are more “fragile” permanents.

Abusability:

- Play in a deck designed to take an opponent’s hand out of the game with cards like Scullers, Thoughtseizes and other various discard-type cards

- Take a Peek at your opponents hand and then chose the most strategic target using that information

- You have Telepathy out. Use your Path (or other removal) on your Lark after an opponent draws a bomb to return meddling mage to play naming that spell which forces them to drop it on the spot (if it’s an instant) or not be able to play it at all. Plus if you used Path, you get land advantage as well.

- Same as above except with Makeshift Mannequin instead of your Lark retrieving your MM from the Graveyard.


I probably haven’t even come close to showcasing the power of this card but it is something to think about as you are building control decks designed to keep your opponent from playing their win conditions. I will speak more about the synergies of the card along with the other cards I’ve mentioned throughout this post when I put the Homebrew Decklist up for this week. It should be a fun four color (W,B,U,R) “Hand Destruction” with some great discard/removal cards to go along with the powerful control of Meddling Mage.

Please comment, email (homebrew.magic@gmail.com) or tweet (@homebrew_magic) any constructive criticism you have pertaining to this or any of my posts. Your input is both needed and appreciated. Happy Brewing!