Putting the Revolt in Aether Revolt

I did mention blog posts would be a bit sporadic, right? Sorry about that. In any case, as you probably are aware by now, spoiler season has begun for Aether Revolt, the second set in the Kaladesh block. On Monday Wizards of the Coast revealed the new and returning mechanics for the set, and in doing so spoiled several new Commons for the set. Today, let's look at three of these cards that give us a glimpse of one of these new mechanics - Revolt!

Decommission is another example in a long line of White Enchantment and Artifact hate. While it's great that you get it at Instant speed, you are paying one more mana than similar abilities normally cost, so of course you have to consider what else you're getting for the investment. In this case, if you've had any permanent of yours leave the battlefield (whether by being killed, bounced, sacrificed, or exiled), you gain 3 Life. This is very close to Solemn Offering, a card which at one point was the premiere choice for Enchantment and Artifact destruction. As such, I think Decommission will probably see play.

When Black gets access to flyers, they are often undersized for their cost, so Night Mark Aeronaut is right in line with that philosophy. You wouldn't typically be happy with a 2/2 with Flying for 4 mana even in Black, so you'll almost always want to wait until you can trigger Revolt. For that relatively easy requirement, you're getting a +1 / +1 upgrade, which is surprisingly good. The difference between a 2/2 and a 3/3 Flyer is huge, making this card one of the more efficient beaters you can have in Black, with very little downside. Night Market Aeronaut seems pretty good, and will probably find a home in almost any Black-based deck.

Silkweaver Elite is a bit unusual in Green in that it has Reach but has a relatively small Toughness for its cost. Furthermore, even a 2/3 Reach for 2G probably wouldn't see much play in the format. So, in keeping with our other two examples, you really want to ensure Revolt will trigger before playing this card. And when it does, you gain what is arguably the most powerful secondary ability of all - you get to draw a card! Given that Green rarely if ever has access to these sorts of cantrip abilities, Silkweaver Elite is actually quite strong. There will no doubt be numerous ways to take full advantage of its great ability.

If these three Commons are a good indicator of what we're getting for Standard Pauper in Aether Revolt, it's safe to say this will be a great set for the format. We've already got several more Commons spoiled, and I'll be taking a look at some of those later this week. For now, if you've got thoughts on these three cards, let me know in the comments below.