Saddle up! Magic: the Gathering is heading to the wild west in its first ever western-themed set Outlaws of Thunder Junction, which will be available in stores starting April 19. Geek Culture and Tap & Sac have brought back a little something from an early raid – preview card Insatiable Avarice!
Insatiable Avarice is a black Sorcery that costs just a single black mana to cast, but requires an additional cost in order to enjoy one or two benefits. This is part of the new Spree mechanic made just for Outlaws of Thunder Junction.
Pay 2 generic mana: you’ll search your library for a card, shuffle your deck, then put the chosen card on top.
The second Spree cost needs two black mana. Pay that and target player draws 3 cards and loses 3 life.
If you’re going for a bank run and have the mana to back it up, you could pay both Spree costs – total of 5 mana – and effectively draw 3 cards (one of which you had searched). On first impression, Insatiable Avarice is certainly worth its weight in gold. Its flexibility of choosing 1 or both costs means you can cast it early with just 3 mana, or go for broke in the late game when mana isn’t an issue.
Paying the first Spree cost already gives you a card of your choice, albeit it’s placed on top of your deck. The main drawback here is that you won’t be able to cast that key spell right away since it’s not in your hand. Paying both Spree costs lets you do just that, but you’ll be losing 3 life and you need 2 additional black mana. Well, if there’s ever a scenario when your opponent is bleeding out on the dirt with just 3 life left, Insatiable Avarice becomes the perfect answer.
Comparing Insatiable Avarice to Other Modern Black Tutors
Insatiable Avarice is a form of tutor card that lets you search for any card in your library. It’s emblematic of black and there have been many tutors in Magic’s history. The previous set – Murders at Karlov Manor – even had its own black tutor as part of a Case mechanic.
Case of the Stashed Skeleton
The new Case card type involves more steps to get your tutor effect, but Case of the Stashed Skeleton does give you a 2/1 creature with Menace. Don’t discount the usefulness of a creature as it could make a trade in combat or even steal some damage from your opponent. You’ll pay a total of 4 Mana before you can search your library, but this effect does put the card in your hand.
Read more on our analysis of Case of the Stashed Skeleton!
Beseech the Mirror
One of the gems from Wilds of Eldraine, Beseech the Mirror has grown in stature for its use in multiple formats because of its ability to cast the searched spell for free. It costs 4 (including 3 black mana) and a sacrificed artifact, enchantment or token, but it is a very reasonable cost. Beseech the Mirror qualifies as a stronger tutor compared to Insatiable Avarice.
Diabolic Intent
An old tutor card that was recently reprinted in The Brothers War, Diabolic Intent costs a mere 2 mana, with the sole drawback being to sacrifice a creature. Again, it’s very doable with cheap token creatures, and black often benefits whenever a creature dies anyway. Diabolic Intent also puts the card into your hand, a clear advantage compared to Insatiable Avarice.
End Step
Insatiable Avarice isn’t going to win awards for best tutor in the game, but it does have a couple of things going for it. The optional add-on of drawing more cards can be useful in certain scenarios, or you may just choose to draw cards for just 3 mana, a fair price and can help you when you’re in a bind. Spree adds a modularity to the game that many players will appreciate, and having an option that lets you search your library should not be underestimated. Check out the new Play Boosters for Outlaws of Thunder Junction and see what you can do with Insatiable Avarice!
