Thanks to Wizards of the Coast for the punishing preview!
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good Eidolon of the Great Revel-like effect in Magic: The Gathering, and Mai, Scornful Striker from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set revamps the category quite nicely. Let’s take a look at a premier way to punish players who cast spells with our exclusive preview card!
Mai, Scornful Striker
Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rare
As Mai comes with first strike, she attacks well — and will often chip in for a couple of points if damage when played early. Those points of damage are critical when paired with such a punishing ability, and can be the difference between an okay card and a great card. Mai is undoubtedly powerful, but how best to use her?
The best way to maximize Mai is to make sure your deck is aggressive. This ability does very little if you aren’t pressuring their life total, so keep that in mind. Standard Decks like Dimir Midrange like having a small attacker and make the life points count, giving Mai a good home.
Standard Dimir Midrange by Luis Scott-Vargas
- 2 Bitter Triumph
- 4 Spyglass Siren
- 4 Enduring Curiosity
- 3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
- 4 Gloomlake Verge
- 4 Island
- 1 Phantom Interference
- 2 Restless Reef
- 5 Swamp
- 4 Watery Grave
- 3 Floodpits Drowner
- 2 Shoot the Sheriff
- 2 Mai, Scornful Striker
- 1 Starting Town
- 2 Soulstone Sanctuary
- 1 Preacher of the Schism
- 4 Deep-Cavern Bat
- 3 Tishana’s Tidebinder
- 2 Cecil, Dark Knight
- 1 Fountainport
- 1 Stab
- 1 Tragic Trajectory
- 1 Long Goodbye
- 1 Essence Scatter
- 2 Multiversal Passage
This deck even has the decent Mai, Scornful Striker and Cecil, Dark Knight combo for an aggressive flip on Cecil. Do note that Mai’s effect is symmetrical — so you will also be losing life here, but staying ahead shouldn’t be too hard. And since Mai is one of the many rares in you can open in Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender, she also appears in the Extended Art treatment to collect on release day and beyond.
Mai, Scornful Striker
Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rare
Striking Them Out
Market Price: $37.21
Market Price: $22.28
Market Price: $8.77
Mai looks like a solid addition to multiple Constructed formats, and could easily be good enough to mainboard in Standard. She will put a beating on spell-based decks, and first strike makes her no slouch in combat either. Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender is shaping up to be a great set, and I can’t wait to see more in the coming days.
Market Price: $99.69
Market Price: $170.74
Market Price: $598.22
Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender releases November 21, where you can potentially open copies of Mai, Scornful Striker in Play and Collector Boosters, Bundles, Prerelease Kits, and more. Avatar: The Last Airbender also sees Scene Boxes, Commander’s Bundle, and Jumpstart Boosters, offering a more casual way to enter Magic: The Gathering for the first time.