MTG Emeritus of Ideation: A Taste of the Power Nine in Standard

Spoiler season for Magic: The Gathering‘s Secrets of Strixhaven is heating up, and leaks are flooding in. While many are trying to avoid spoilers, one card is simply too intriguing to ignore: Emeritus of Ideation. This Mythic Rare blue creature offers a unique way to access the power of Ancestral Recall, one of the most infamous and powerful cards in Magic: The Gathering history, even in the Standard format.

What Does Emeritus of Ideation Do?

Emeritus of Ideation is a blue creature with ward 2 and flying. However, the real draw is its ability to cast a version of Ancestral Recall. This is a spell created in the early days of Magic, before card balance was a primary concern, and drawing three cards for a single mana was considered reasonable. But how does this work in Secrets of Strixhaven?

It’s unlikely Wizards of the Coast would simply reprint a Power Nine card directly into Standard. Instead, the card utilizes the new Prepared mechanic. When Emeritus of Ideation enters the battlefield, it’s ‘prepared’. By exiling cards from your graveyard when it attacks, you can ‘reload’ and cast its prepared spell – in this case, a version of Ancestral Recall.

Is It Worth It?

Effectively, this translates to a 5/5 flyer with Ward 2 for five mana, followed by the ability to draw three cards for one additional mana. While powerful, it’s debatable whether it surpasses other options like Quantum Riddler from Edge of Eternities. The ability to bounce Emeritus of Ideation to reuse the Recall effect is a significant advantage, but exiling eight cards from your graveyard is a substantial cost. Without blink effects, consistently gaining value from this card could prove challenging.

A Clever Way to Celebrate Magic’s History

This mechanic is a clever nod to Magic‘s iconic instant and sorcery cards, similar to how the first Strixhaven set celebrated these spells through its Mystical Archive bonus sheet. It also offers a way to acknowledge the Power Nine without directly adding them to the game, potentially bypassing the Reserved List. However, players are hoping that Time Twister and Time Walk don’t receive similar ‘prepared’ versions, as that could significantly skew the balance of the set in blue’s favor.

Not the First Time Accessing the Power Nine

Wizards of the Coast has previously allowed access to Power Nine cards in the digital-only Alchemy format with the card Oracle of the Alpha. However, Emeritus of Ideation marks the first time an effect like this has appeared on a physical card.

The Verdict: Busted or Unplayable?

Is Emeritus of Ideation a Limited bomb? Absolutely. But its viability in Standard remains to be seen. Is it broken, or will it fall flat? Join the discussion and cast your vote on the Wargamer Discord!

Article by Matt Bassil, Wargamer’s resident trading card games obsessive.