Sorcery speed Magic: The Gathering removal spells received a unique Artifact one-drop called Dusk Rose Reliquary through Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoilers on Oct. 29.
Removal spells with a rarity of Uncommon that only cost two mana have had a significant impact on multiple MTG formats over the past years, from Rite of Oblivion to Ossification, of which both are legal to play in the Standard format. Wizards of the Coast took the design a step further through Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) with the introduction of Dusk Rose Reliquary, adding Ward and a sacrificial added cost.
Dusk Rose Reliquary
Dusk Rose Reliquary is a one-drop in the MTG color White with a rarity at Uncommon that can exile a target creature or Artifact upon entering the battlefield.
- Mana cost: W
- Type: Artifact
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Ward: Two
- Additional casting cost: “As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an Artifact or creature.”
- Ability: “When Dusk Rose Reliquary enters the battlefield, exile target Artifact or creature an opponent controls until Dusk Rose Reliquary leaves the battlefield.”
Within the Standard format, both Rite of Oblivion and Ossification are solid two-drop removal Tempo removal spells. One is a Sorcery, and the other is an Enchantment. A majority of Tempo exile cards in MTG are Enchantments, but Dusk Rose Reliquary changes up the design pattern as an Artifact.
Not to say it is any better than the other two removal options. It is, however, a strong removal tool that can disrupt an opponent’s board state at a super cheap cost in the right deck. I can potentially see Dusk Rose Reliquary having an impact on Standard, depending on the meta. It slots nicely into a BW Aristocrat build or even a Mardu sacrifice-themed build.
Dusk Rose Reliquary also has Ward Two, which is a nice bonus to the overall value of the Artifact. Most times, opponents will ignore it, and when they don’t, the extra two mana paid to get their creature back works against them unless they’ve mana-flooded or it’s the late stages of a match.
Players can test out Dusk Rose Reliquary at prerelease events for Lost Caverns of Ixalan when it drops into local game stores on Nov. 10.
