Cyclonic Rift – Return to Ravnica
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2024
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.63
Casual: 5.00
Limited: 4.63
Multiplayer: 5.00
Commander [EDH]: 5.00
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I have long thought that Magic needed more compilation sets. The Masters sets often have fun cards up and down the rarity scale, when we get them; and the plane remasters have so far been great introductions for new players, and a nostalgia trip for veterans. Ravnica Remastered isn’t shying away from some of the plane’s more, shall we say, contentious elements too – not the Nephilim, unfortunately, but to some Commander groups, Cyclonic Rift is just as terrifying as whatever the heck those beings feel they are. It’s easy to see why: many Commander decks have a strategy that involves flooding the table with as much stuff (to use a technical term) as possible, and a one-sided bounce spell is even more impactful in a game that has four sides. That’s not to say it’s underwhelming in other formats, though. Casting it with any kind of presence on your side of the table, or any kind of follow-up at all, is often an “I win” button, in any setting. And since it’s an instant, you have a lot more space and potential opportunities to make sure you’re casting it in those circumstances.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 5
Commander [EDH]: 5
The new year kicks off with Ravnica Remastered, a sort of “greatest hits” compilation from the nine previous Ravnica sets. Cyclonic Rift has managed to endure from Return to Ravnica as probably its most infamous spell, commanding a $30 price tag across all its printings and becoming a Commander staple with some fringe play in other formats.
Cyclonic Rift is, in a pure sense, a one-sided board wipe that has an alternate mode if you need to cast it earlier. Two mana for Disperse is acceptable enough in a pinch, but the main attraction is seven mana to wipe everyone else’s things. At instant speed, it’s not inconceivable to just slam this at an opponent’s end step and end the game on your next turn if it resolves successfully. It’s not subtle, but it’s powerful and back-breaking all the same.
Cyclonic Rift’s power is remarkable, though it is an answer that can be answered. But if opponents lack the means to stop this from doing its thing, the game might well be over as soon as you hit seven mana. For a single card, that’s pretty impressive, and its various interactions with things like Spellseeker haven’t hurt it at all.
Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 5
Limited: 4.75
Multiplayer: 5
Commander [EDH]: 5
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