The Scarlet Lotus: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Jeweled Lotus
We live in a world of social deterioration and rot. Jumping from incident to incident the neurons in our brains fire like pistons in a steam engine. It seems like there’s no end to it. Yet, we move forward. It’s the one thing I’ve always considered to be Magic’s greatest strength: like the Abzan we endure. However, this resiliency has caused the community to allow some bad actors and opinions to proliferate. Now it’s not that the opinions themselves are bad but rather the reasoning behind why they’re promoted that seems disingenuous.
A startling trend I’ve been noticing is this need for many content creators to hyperbolize their reactions to cards or innocuous comments from Wizards of the Coast staff. If you’ve followed me or have watched or read anything I put out you know that this is a topic I’m very passionate about. I think this ‘Interaction at all costs’ approach is short sighted and long term proliferates negative attitudes about things that would normally be positive.
With Commander Legends on the rise we were privy to another wave of doomsaying from the voices that be. Yes, dear readers hide your commanders, lock up your brews, and nail your deck boxes shut: they’re printing Lotuses up in here. But did any of these prophets of peril take time to actually examine the card? Or did they stop reading at 0 for 3 mana? And even if they did why fight the wave of outrage?
After divorcing myself from the hype cycle, I’ve been taking a more patient and slow approach to card evaluation. As my new favorite legend Archelos says:
“Life … is not … a race.”
So let’s take a minute to break down the parts of this not quite Power 9, Power Nein, if you will, and examine what makes it tick.
Is a Lotus by any other name just as broken?
So, yes it does cost 0 mana. That’s quite strong. But then again so does Darksteel Relic.
It is not legendary so you can make copies of it. Oh no. That’s quite problematic!
It sacrifices to make 3 mana of any one color. That is very strong. Bordering on broken in fact!
…but (Oh theres that monkey’s paw) you can only use the mana cast to cast your commander. Well that’s still quite good but this restriction makes it far less exciting. In fac, it’s what keeps the card balanced!
Fear of a Black Lotus
With the way the greater world is, as well as the microcosm of the MTG Community, we often tend to focus on the worst case scenarios rather than the realistic ones. And why not? We endure because we account for the worst but expect the best. But, is the worst something we’re going to see?
I see a lot of people fearful of Turn 1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV or other chicanery. But if one were to look at the numbers on EDHREC you’d find he isn't at all that popular.
Furthermore, as the Rules Committee has made abundantly clear, people who want to play this way will find ways to do it regardless. So be a hero and have a conversation about Rule 0! I don’ think the worst case scenario is one we’re likely to see.
As with any “fast mana” rock this card has diminishing returns the further you get into the game. Will there be times where this pushes for that extra mana or two you need to cast your commander? Sure. But the real power of cards like Black Lotus or Lion’s Eye Diamond is the ability to spend the mana you gain from it to recur it through something like Auriok Salvagers or Lurrus. While you can recast it with Lurrus having the mana pigeonholed to your commander is far less flexible.
So, what does Diet Black Lotus actually do, if we’re not likely to see the worst case scenario?
Let’s start with the application we’ll most likely witness.
Jeweled Lotus will create incredibly fast lines of play for certain decks that rely on their commander. Specifically, Commanders that are two or less colors as well as have a converted mana cost of 4 or less benefit greatly from Jeweled Lotus. So, there is definitely an argument that it creates lopsided opening hands.
But, that’s nothing new.
Turn 1 Sol Ring is such an obnoxious play that people often collectively groan due to its commonality. Less common, but perhaps more groan worthy is turn 1 Mana Crypt. Now does Jeweled Lotus make this worse? Definitely. BUT does it make it significantly worse? Given how restricted the use of mana is, I’d say no.
Are You There Richard Garfield? It’s Me, Mana.
Now if the quasi-Lotus doesn’t actively help and actually serves to make games slightly more lopsided why bother making it? Well, while it may not seem this way to a lot of you, playing with Black Lotus is fun. Ask anybody who’s played Vintage or drafted a Vintage Cube what it’s like to play with a Black Lotus for the first time. It’s exhilarating! It feels like you’re almost tapping into an ancient and forbidden power. The term ‘Magic as Garfield intended’ gets brandished around a lot but I do sincerely feel like the moment you crack a Lotus for mana is one of the most pure feelings of joy one can experience in Magic.
For me, I want everyone, especially casual players, to experience that. Just to have that moment of having an explosive turn where you get to do so much because of one little flower! Jeweled Lotus makes that happen!
After all, EDH players only want one thing and it’s disgusting: to cast our commanders! And the best part is given how restricted the mana is, it’s exceedingly hard to break. While you can definitely build some type of rube Goldberg machine that feeds into some X costing Kamigawa legend, it’s not at all what I’d call a pragmatic combo.
I think the minor annoyance caused by slightly more lopsided turn ones, is worth having more player’s experience the raw joy of cracking a lotus and feeling what it’s like to truly wield one of the more iconic cards of the game.
How Do You Do Fellow Players, I Too Am Outraged!
But why all the hate? I feel like a lot of the fear around Jeweled Lotus is unfounded and only associated with it because of how we’ve deified Black Lotus and put it on a sort of pedestal. Every preview season we see people looking to crucify cards or their designers because they faintly resemble Power 9 or other Vintage and Legacy staples.
Fierce Guardianship is too strong because that means too many Force of Wills in EDH!
Arcane Signet? Now I guess it’s 97 cards, your commander, Sol ring and Arcane Signet!
Razaketh? A Vampiric Tutor (I’m aware it’s not) in your Command Zone? BAN IT!
Mox Amber? Great another MUST Play in COMMANDER!
These complaints are further amplified by creators who’s job is now to generate engagement. After all, if your audience’s foots on the gas, why bother putting yours on the breaks? In fact, most of them don’t really have a choice. You either ride the wave or get pulled under into obscurity. But that’s another article for another day.
We, as a community, endure because we account for the worst case scenario and steel ourselves against whatever may come. But please don’t let the toxicity of engagement culture ruin either yours or another’s enjoyment. Lotus or not, we will endure because it’s what we do.
I know it may not seem like it now…but things will get better…I promise.
