Streets of New Capenna is almost here. Magic: the Gathering’s newest set officially hits stores April 29, with prerelease events set to take place a week earlier. Each new set introduces exciting new mechanics to the game of Magic, and Streets of New Capenna is no different. Much of the set is based around the five Crime Families and their power struggle for New Capenna. In addition to their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and personalities, each Capennan family comes with a brand new mechanic. In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the Riveteer family mechanic: Blitz.
Blitz is an alternate casting cost found on certain creatures. When a creature is cast for its Blitz cost, that creature gains haste and must be sacrificed at the beginning of the next end step. When a creature cast this way dies, its controller draws a card.
Though certainly not the most complicated ability in Magic’s history, Blitz does have a few tricky interactions. Not to worry. In this article I’ll answer all your questions as well as give my picks for the strongest cards.
What Is Blitz?
Blitz is a mechanic from Streets of New Capenna unique to the Riveteer crime family. This is the Jund mechanic, so only Black, Red, and Green cards have it. Blitz is very similar to the Dash mechanic. The only differences between the two is that creatures cast with Blitz have to be sacrificed instead of returned to the hand. The good news is that you get to draw a card to replace your dead Blitz creature.
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How Does It Work?
When you cast a spell with Blitz you can choose to cast it for the Blitz cost instead of its regular mana-cost. If you do so, then that creature gains Haste, and “when this creature dies, draw a card”. This is one of the most aggressive mechanics we’ve seen in quite some time. Not only does it incentivize fast attacks, but it rewards you for sending your creature to death in combat. If the blitz creature survives then you have to wait until your turn is over before you get to draw. If that creature dies in combat, however, you get the card with a chance to play it that turn.
FAQs
Does Blitz Change the Mana-Value of a Card?
No, the mana-value of a card with Blitz does not change. Even if you cast a creature for its Blitz cost, the mana-value is still equal to its regular mana-cost.
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Do Blitz Creatures Have to Be Sacrificed to Draw a Card?
No, once you’ve cast a creature for its Blitz cost, you get to draw a card no matter how it dies. If a blitzing creature survives until the end-step of the turn you cast on, then you have to sacrifice it and draw. If it dies before then, however, you still get to draw. As I mentioned above, it’s actually better if your blitzing creature dies before you have to sacrifice it. In that case, you’ll have a chance to use the card you draw that turn.
With that being said, blitzing creatures must die to draw you a card. If they’re exiled or bounced, you get nothing.
Full List
Tenacious Underdog
Ziatora’s Envoy
Workshop Warchief
Jaxis, the Troublemaker
Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder
Riveteers Requisitioner
Night Clubber
Riveteers Decoy
Pugnacious Pugilist
Mayhem Patrol
Caldaia Strongarm
Girder Goons
Plasma Jockey
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Best Cards
Tenacious Underdog
Tenacious Underdog is ridiculous. For just two mana (one and a black), you get a 3/2 body. Those stats alone make Tenacious Underdog good. Then there’s his Blitz ability on top of that. And as if that wasn’t enough, he also has a static ability that lets you cast him for his Blitz cost from the graveyard!
Tenacious Underdog is a cheap 3/2 creature that can pressure the opponent early and be cast over and over again from the graveyard later in the game. Oh, and he ends up drawing you a card each time he comes back. Doesn’t sound like much of an underdog to me.
Ziatora’s Envoy
Ziatora’s Envoy is another great Blitz card. For four mana you get a 5/4 body with Trample. Again, very respectable stats by themselves. But of course Ziatora’s Envoy also has a crazy triggered ability. Whenever he deals combat damage to a player, you get to look at the top card of your library. If that card is a land, you can play it. If it’s not a land, and its mana-value is less than or equal to the damage dealt by the attack, you can cast the card for free! And if the card meets neither of those requirements, you get to put it in your hand. In addition to all this, Ziatora’s Envoy has Blitz. So for just one extra mana, you can add Haste and card-draw to the equation. Pretty crazy, right?
Workshop Warchief
While not quite as powerful as the previous two, Workshop Warchief is a solid card. For five mana you get a 5/3 creature with Trample who gains you three life whenever it enters the battlefield. Additionally, Workshop Warchief also gives you a gift whenever it leaves the battlefield. That gift is a 4/4 Rhino creature token.
This is extra powerful combined with the Warchief’s Blitz ability. Cast it for its Blitz cost and you get three life, a powerful attack, a 4/4 Rhino, and an extra draw, all in the same turn.
Cards That Synergize With Blitz
Ognis, the Dragon’s Lash
[C]Ognis, the Dragon’s Lash[/C] is a 3/3 with Haste that gives you a Treasure Token every time a creature with Haste attacks. This goes perfect with Blitz creatures since they’ll often be attacking with Haste.
Riveteers Ascendancy
[C]Riveteers Ascendancy[/C] is a 3 mana enchantment that lets you return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield when you sacrifice a creature. The returning creature just has to have less mana-value than the sacrificed creature. This is huge in a Blitz strategy since you have to sacrifice your Blitz creatures anyways.
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End Step
Blitz brings an exciting new flavor to the Jund colors and has the potential to have a big impact in constructed formats. Of all the new mechanics introduced in Streets of Capenna, I think Blitz might be the very best. Regardless of power, however, this mechanic along with the other four mechanics from the Capennan Crime Families is sure to bring exciting new interactions to MTG for quite some time.
I hope this article has answered any and all questions you might have, and I hope to see you soon out there on the grimy streets of New Capenna.
