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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Chandra, Pyromaster
Image from Wizards.com

Chandra, Pyromancer
- Archenemy: Nicol Bolas

Reviewed July 10, 2017

Constructed: 3.38
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4.38
Multiplayer: 3.00
Commander [EDH]: 3.13

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale:
1 - Horrible  3 - Average.  5 - Awesome

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Card of the Day Reviews 


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Chandra, Pyromaster
 
My favorite portrayal of Chandra is actually the picture of her they put on the packaging for the Kaladesh planeswalker decks. I'm assuming that that precludes it from being used for an actual planeswalker card, which is really too bad, because she looks very nice in it. This version is an interesting one - like the other Archenemy planeswalkers, it's supposed to be from Nicol Bolas' point of view, and he sees them as a little less exciting than we usually do. Due to his status in Magic's story, it's hard for things not to be distorted when you see them through his eyes.
 
As far as her mechanics go, I think this version of Chandra's main action is with that zero ability. In a properly constructed deck, it can give you a continuous stream of extra cards to play, or at the very least dig you closer to something you specifically need. Her +1 is also really strong, helping red's aggressive creatures push past walls and baloths (although mana-producing creatures are a little more resilient on average now than they were in M14). I think there's an awful lot to like about the Pyromaster iteration of Chandra, even if you almost never get to use her ultimate. Copying Warp World with it will probably result in you having to find a new playgroup, though!
 
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5

James H.

Chandra, Pyromaster (7/10)

 

After a slew of underwhelming and underpowered Chandra planeswalkers, to where bad Chandras were elevated to memetic status, we finally got one that was actually good. In effect, Chandra, Pyromaster behaves a lot like a red Phyrexian Arena, giving you an extra card each turn to play with off of her 0 ability. Considering that red is known for its poor card advantage (only slightly better than white), this is a big deal, and it alone makes her good.

 

Her other two abilities are merely okay, but they have their uses. Her +1 lets you push through a bit of damage by incapacitating a blocker (and going to the face). Her ultimate is very high-risk, high-reward; it’ll feel bad if you whiff on it, but landing something like a Boros Charm or Atarka's Command means a massive beating is in order for your opponent. It's a nice feature, but her 0 is the main attraction here, and it's what makes her so much better than the Chandras of the past. Even if she's not the “best Chandra of allllll tiiiiiiime” anymore, she’s still quite usable.

 

Constructed: 3.75

Casual: 4.5

Limited: 4.75

Multiplayer: 3

Commander: 3.25


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