Today was a big day when it comes to spoilers. A massive number of new cards from Outlaws of Thunder Junction were previewed, showing off the uniqueness and flavor of our next premier set. There were also a bunch of pricy reprints included in the main set, Breaking News bonus sheet, and beyond. With so many cards getting revealed all at once, it can be hard to focus in on the ones with the highest potential in Constructed.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Today, we are going to focus on one card in particular that has clear homes in multiple formats. This card is evasive, hits hard, and has some interesting play to it thanks to its Plot ability. The card in question is
Slickshot Show-Off
Slickshot Show-Off
Flying, haste
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Plot {1}{R} (You may pay {1}{R} and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery.)
. Let’s dive right in and take a look at what makes this card so special.
A Great Card on Rate
Slickshot Show-Off is quite the card. For two mana, you get a 1/2 with Flying and Haste that gains a significant buff when you cast non-Creature spells. This alone makes it almost certainly strong enough to see Standard play in red aggressive shells. As good as mono-red is in Standard, one weakness has certainly been the two-drop slot.
Fugitive Codebreaker
Fugitive Codebreaker
Prowess, haste
Disguise {5}{R}. This cost is reduced by {1} for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard. (You may cast this card face down for {3} as a 2/2 creature with ward {2}. Turn it face up any time for its disguise cost.)
When this creature is turned face up, discard your hand, then draw three cards.
was a nice upgrade from Murders at Karlov Manor, and alongside
Monastery Swiftspear
Monastery Swiftspear
Haste
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
, incentivized players to utilize lots of cheap spells alongside them. After that, though, cards like
Pyrotechnic Performer
Pyrotechnic Performer
Disguise {R} (You may cast this card face down for {3} as a 2/2 creature with ward {2}. Turn it face up any time for its disguise cost.)
Whenever this creature or another creature you control is turned face up, that creature deals damage equal to its power to each opponent.
or
Charming Scoundrel
Charming Scoundrel
Haste
When this creature enters, choose one —
• Discard a card, then draw a card.
• Create a Treasure token.
• Create a Wicked Role token attached to target creature you control.
are pretty significant drop-offs in power level. Well, Slickshot Show-Off seems like a great immediate replacement. It works perfectly with various burn spells and
Monstrous Rage
Monstrous Rage
Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Create a Monster Role token attached to it. (If you control another Role on it, put that one into the graveyard. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.)
.
Speaking of Monstrous Rage, Slickshot Show-Off looks like a perfect inclusion in Boros Heroic in Pioneer, too. Between the plethora of one-mana pump spells this deck has access to, it’s easy to get Slickshot Show-Off’s power through the roof on your attacks.
Even though it doesn’t maintain its growth into future turns (cards like
Tenth District Legionnaire
Tenth District Legionnaire
Haste
Whenever you cast a spell that targets this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then scry 1.
keep +1/+1 counters when you target them, for instance), it makes up for this by having its power grow by two when you cast a non-Creature spell. Additionally, you can target another one of your Creatures and Slickshot Show-Off will still get pumped, which is a big deal. However, what really sets the card apart in this archetype is its Plot ability.
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Maximizing Plot
In many decks, the Plot ability on Slickshot Show-Off won’t come up super often. After all, if you’re going through the trouble of spending two mana on turn two for the card, you might as well cast it and get the extra point of damage in thanks to Haste. The thing is, there are some important circumstances where the Plot ability is super important. For Heroic, it enables you to easily protect your powerful Bird Wizard.
Part of what makes the Boros Heroic deck so strong is that, even against decks with removal spells, cards like
Gods Willing
Gods Willing
Target creature you control gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. (It can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, enchanted, or equipped by anything of that color.)
Scry 1.
and
Loran’s Escape
Loran’s Escape
Target artifact or creature gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. Scry 1.
force the opponent to have multiple removal spells in one turn. As such, it isn’t always worthwhile to slam your potent two-drop on turn two. Sometimes, it’s worth waiting until turn three to play a third Land and hold up protection.
This is where Plot comes into play. In attrition-based matchups, you can Plot Slickshot Show-Off turn two, then cast it turn three with all of your mana up. This can let you get a big attack in with protection spells at the ready. Even if you don’t have a third Land, Plot makes sure that your potent two-drop is safe from a single
Fatal Push
Fatal Push
Destroy target creature if it has mana value 2 or less.
Revolt — Destroy that creature if it has mana value 4 or less instead if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn.
.
In a similar vein, much like Foretell, getting to save mana on a future turn has its perks. For instance, against UW control, rather than playing further into
Temporary Lockdown
Temporary Lockdown
When this enchantment enters, exile each nonland permanent with mana value 2 or less until this enchantment leaves the battlefield.
, you can exile Slickshot Show-Off, cast it after the board wipe, and get a massive attack in. In other strategies, such as Boros
Pia, Nalaar, Consul of Revival
Pia, Nalaar, Consul of Revival
Thopters you control have haste.
Whenever you play a land from exile or cast a spell from exile, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
shells, you may even get a small bonus for casting Slickshot Show-Off from exile. There are simply tons of ways to abuse this card.
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A Wizard Subtheme
Speaking of abusing this card, the fact that Slickshot Show-Off is a Wizard opens the door for further brewing possibilities. In Pioneer, this card makes casting
Wizard’s Lightning
Wizard’s Lightning
This spell costs {2} less to cast if you control a Wizard.
Wizard's Lightning deals 3 damage to any target.
for one mana much more reliable. Alongside
Soul-Scar Mage
Soul-Scar Mage
Prowess
If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to a creature an opponent controls, put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature instead.
and
Ghitu Lavarunner
Ghitu Lavarunner
As long as there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, this creature gets +1/+0 and has haste. (It can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
, you should have a high enough density to make things work.
In Modern, we’ve seen Izzet shells incorporate
Flame of Anor
Flame of Anor
Choose one. If you control a Wizard as you cast this spell, you may choose two instead.
• Target player draws two cards.
• Destroy target artifact.
• Flame of Anor deals 5 damage to target creature.
, which is an incredibly powerful card if you control a Wizard when you cast it. Typically, this card shows up in tempo strategies alongside
Snapcaster Mage
Snapcaster Mage
Flash
When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
and
Tishana’s Tidebinder
Tishana’s Tidebinder
Flash
When this creature enters, counter up to one target activated or triggered ability. If an ability of an artifact, creature, or planeswalker is countered this way, that permanent loses all abilities for as long as this creature remains on the battlefield. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.)
. With a more aggressive slant, Slickshot Show-Off could be a strong inclusion.
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Going Even Deeper
When talking about Modern, likely the easiest home for Slickshot Show-Off, though, is Izzet Prowess. Izzet Prowess generally makes use of Soul-Scar Mage,
Monastery Swiftspear
Monastery Swiftspear
Haste
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
, and
Dragon’s Rage Channeler
Dragon’s Rage Channeler
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.)
Delirium — As long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, this creature gets +2/+2, has flying, and attacks each combat if able.
as elite one-mana threat. After that, things get a little dicey.
Sprite Dragon
Sprite Dragon
Flying, haste
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
used to be a strong inclusion, but the presence of Orcish Bowmasters makes it much more difficult to find a window to tap out for it. Some players have chosen to splash for
Questing Druid
Questing Druid
Whenever you cast a spell that's white, blue, black, or red, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
, but this isn’t the most aggressive card and forces you to play another color. Slickshot Show-Off is the perfect card to fill this role.
With free spells like
Mishra’s Bauble
Mishra’s Bauble
{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Look at the top card of target player's library. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
and
Mutagenic Growth
Mutagenic Growth
({G/P} can be paid with either {G} or 2 life.)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
in the mix, this card can pile on tons of damage in short order. Throw in
Underworld Breach
Underworld Breach
Each nonland card in your graveyard has escape. The escape cost is equal to the card's mana cost plus exile three other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast cards from your graveyard for their escape cost.)
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this enchantment.
, and you may be able to win the game in one hit! Ultimately, the potential for this card is through the roof, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it becomes a strong multi-format staple.
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