Jace’s master plan has come into fruition, and his Echoverse - a version of the Multiverse cleansed of the triple calamities of the Eldrazi, the Phyrexians, and Nicol Bolas - has emerged into existence. But the Echoverse and the Multiverse aren’t capable of coexistence. Instead, Jace’s intent is for his Echoverse to overwrite the Multiverse. Now people and planeswalkers must confront their worst enemy - themselves - in a battle not simply for survival, but for the right to even exist.
That’s the storyline of Reality Fracture in a nutshell, and its apocalyptic drama has definitely been carried over into the cards themselves. Let’s see how!
Mechanics and Themes
Echoed Pairs
The Echoverse is populated by familiar faces with unfamiliar histories, resulting in characters with wildly different personalities and abilities. FRA is filled to the brim with Echoed Pairs: one card representing a facet of the Multiverse, and a partner card representing the distorted version that appears in the Echoverse.
These paired cards will be in opposing colors and have some sort of opposition in theme - for example, Koth of the Homestead’s lifegain versus Koth, the Geomancer’s damage to an opponent. That doesn’t mean that the cards in these pairs work particularly well (or against) each other, and there’s no bonus for having two of an Echoed Pair out at the same time.
Every pack contains three of these cards, with two of them always being a pair. In draft, if you take a card from an Echoed Pair the person you’re passing to will have strong hints regarding what you took - but they can’t ever be certain.
Empower Jace
Jace’s presence suffuses both the Echoverse and the cards in FRA. When you Empower Jace X, you place X loyalty counters on a Jace token you control - and if you don’t control a Jace token, you simply create one first. Most of the time, you’ll Empower Jace when you cast a spell such as Protege’s Awakening. There are also a few cards - such as Inspired Tethermage - that have abilities that allow you to Empower Jace.
The token doesn’t do a ton by itself; you can think of Empower Jace as giving a card delayed card draw or Surveil. But there are added complications; for example, if you Empower Jace 2, will you Surveil right away or wait until you Empower Jace again so you can draw a card instead? Is your Jace worth protecting, or can you let him go if your opponent attacks him? And then there’s the many enchantments - such as Way of the Warlord - that give your planeswalkers extra abilities.
There’s an unsurprising amount of complexity built into this complex new mechanic, and I am very curious how it’ll end up playing out!
Prepared
The schools of Hexhaven may be philosophically opposed to those of Strixhaven, but their pedagogical process apparently has some similarities. If a creature with a Prepared spell enters the battlefield, you’ll be able to cast that Prepared spell as long as that creature remains on the battlefield, and as long as that creature is Prepared. Many of these creatures start out Prepared and simply gain a one-shot effect; some have other mechanisms to become Prepared, and can potentially use their Prepared spell multiple times in a game.
Note that FRA has far less of a focus on casting instants and sorceries compared to Secrets of Strixhaven, so you’ll often only want these creatures if you can actually benefit from their Prepared spell.
Heartwood Tokens
The Red/Green Hexhaven school of Konstrari focuses on building things up, and their Heartwood tokens help do exactly that. A Heartwood token is simply an artifact that can tap for Red or Green mana, and they are primarily created as part of a Prepared spell from a creature such as Konstrari Improviser.
In FRA these tokens will almost always be used exclusively for ramp, as this set does not have dedicated artifact or artifact sacrifice themes. That being said, there is the odd card such as Pia, Determined Rebuilder which does care about the number of artifacts you control.
Archetypes
FRA features ten two-color archetypes. Confusingly, the allied color archetypes are explicitly associated with a Hexhaven school while the enemy color pair archetypes just… exist. Each archetype features two signpost uncommons. The Hexhaven schools also feature a hybrid uncommon, but keep in mind that these cards can easily be cast by any two-color deck that shares just one of the school’s colors.
White/Black: Go-Wide
There’s more than one possible payoff for going wide; confusingly, the signpost uncommons for White/Black point in different directions. Twisted Fates is a neat removal spell that also pumps your entire board: the perfect piece of interaction for a go-wide strategy. However, Edgar, Ancient Bloodlord asks you to consider sacrificing your creatures instead. So what exactly does this archetype want you do? I’d say it depends on what other cards you pick up. Grab a Shatterwing Pegasus or two and play aggressively, backed by Black removal; or pick up Massacre Girl, Most Wanted and play more of an aristocrats-style deck that slowly drains your opponent out.
White/Blue: Scry/Surveil (Fatehold)
Scrying and Surveiling is nice, but it doesn’t win you the game by itself - unless you play cards such as Desperate Futurescribe that give you bonuses whenever you Scry or Surveil. Prudent Fateseer is another card like this, with the added bonus of including a Prepared spell that spits out a token while also letting you Surveil 1. Fatehold Charm… doesn’t fit directly into this strategy. However its range of options will always be very useful, whether you need a little card advantage, some interaction, or a strong buff to your entire board.
Blue/Black: Self-Mill / Control (Theorix)
In FRA the Blue/Black archetype exploits cards with two different tangible benefits from self-mill, and Recursive Recruitment illustrates both. First: it has Flashback, so you benefit from throwing it into the graveyard. Second: its text scales its power with the number of cards in your graveyard. However, self-mill isn’t always an easy effect to find - unless you play Paradox Shaper with its cheap milling effect that you can cast every turn (while also ensuring you won’t ever accidentally mill yourself out). You can also use Theorix Charm to do the trick, although I suspect you’ll more often want to use its counter or removal modes.
Blue/Red: Non-Creature Spells
Play Saheeli, Jewel of Avishar; cast a lot of non-creature spells; overwhelm your opponent with a flood of hasty 1/1 flying Thopters. You’ll want to do this before your opponent has a chance to stabilize, so grab interaction spells such as Clash of Elements - which (pseudo-)removes a creature while also potentially hitting your opponent in their face. Note that this archetype traditionally has trouble balancing creature and non-creature spells, and note that a creature such as Stingerquill Voxmancer represents both. Use its Prepared spell to cast Traxos, Academy Guardian on turn 3, and you’ll have your opponent dead before they know it.
Black/Red: Direct Damage (Stingerquill)
Direct damage strategies are typically quite aggressive, and FRA’s Stingerquill deck is no exception. Grim Repriser is a nasty two-drop whose Prowess makes it very stressful to block, and its ability to come back from the graveyards gives it a little additional value. It pairs especially well with Stingerquill Voxmancer and its annoying (and constant) Prepared spell which ensures a little ping every single turn. Stingerquill Charm is another useful addition to this deck; you’ll most likely want to use it as a bolt, but its other modes - having your small creature take out a bigger creature, or flashing in some board presence - are undoubtedly handy as well.
Black/Green: Self-Mill / Mid-Range
What’s the difference between Black/Green self-mill and Blue/Black self-mill? I’d say it’s the immediacy of the benefits. Both Hapatra, the Desert Fang and Primal Witchstalker eschew long-term benefits for immediate effects - perfect for a mid-range strategy that is looking to close the game out sooner rather than later. Rewrite Regrets and Bestial Incursion are two additional ways to go aggressive with your graveyard shenanigans - but honestly, you can forsake the synergy and just go to town with a bunch of strong Black removal and a bunch of strong Green creatures.
Red/White: +1/+1 Counters Aggro
This archetype may be the most aggressive +1/+1 counters archetype that we’ve ever seen. What makes it different from others? Well, there’s creatures like Mabel, Valley Hero, who encourages you to play lots of cheap creatures in order to maximize her bonus buff ability; and there’s equipment like Warrior’s Blades that does that premium Equipment thing of acting both as a removal spell and a buff that sticks around. Mix those with Gallia, the Merrymaker to give all your creatures haste, and Predictive Preparations as another way to drop +1/+1 counters on your creatures - and, well, you have a pretty straightforward deck that kills your opponent in a pretty straightforward manner.
Red/Green: Ramp (Konstrari)
You don’t have to talk too much about the benefits of ramp: casting expensive spells sooner is a great formula for victory. Cast Woodwork Prodigy on turn 3, utilize its Prepared spell on turn 4, and then use Konstrari Charm’s extra mana mode to play Craftwork Crusher on turn 5; that sequence may be enough to simply win the game on the spot. Granted, that’s a bit of an optimistic scenario - but find the proper mix of ramp and high CMC cards, and it’ll happen more often than you think.
Green/White: Lifegain (Vigorbloom)
Gaining life by itself is rarely a winning strategy. But add in cards that trigger whenever you gain life - such as Bloombrute’s card draw effect - and you’re telling a different story. This deck also has a +1/+1 counter subtheme, as illustrated by Vigorbloom Vanguard and its Prepared spell. Perhaps not every Vigorbloom deck will lean the same way, but Vigorbloom Charm and its many modes will be useful no matter which direction you choose to go.
Green/Blue: Planeswalkers
A planeswalker archetype is typically not possible in a Limited set, but FRA’s Empower Jace mechanic makes it very very viable. Granted, the token Jace planeswalker is not too threatening by itself. However there are cards that make him more so, and that’s what the Green/Blue archetype specializes in. Kiora of Salt and Sand gives Jace a near-ultimate ability while also providing a nice combat ability that can win you the game. Similarly, Mind Meanderer is an evasive creature with a built-in removal ability that becomes even more annoying if you have a Jace planeswalker in play. Throw in Arcane Amphisbaena (ideal for getting the Jace train rolling while also protecting him from many attacks) and Countersculpt (counterspell is always fun), and you too can see what it’s like to live in a Jace-dominated multiverse!
Key Commons and Uncommons
White
Creatures
Hexhaven Battalion: Basic landcyclers have increasingly become cards you hope you won’t have to landcycle. Six mana for three 2/2s plus a Jace seems really good to me!
Way of the Healer: Okay, there’s a chance you’ll only get one 2/2 out of this. But if you get more than one - either by protecting Jace, or by casting another Empower Jace spell - then the value just grows and grows and grows.
Yuriko, Blade of the Mighty: The first half of her text makes her second half really good. Note that your creature will not gain double strike if it’s attacking a planeswalker.
Non-Creatures
Memory Trap: Copy-and-paste whatever I said about Banishing Light or Web Up a few sets ago.
Prophesied End: Yes, I think this removal spell is not great in Constructed; yes, I think it’s great in Limited.
Your Fate Ends Here: Not quite unconditional, but it’ll kill almost any creature worth killing (at instant speed).
Blue
Creatures
Ruric Thar, Biomagus: This’ll finish a game.
Surveillance Phantasm: Maybe you don’t want this in the aggro-iest of aggro decks - but this, uh, bird feels like it has a place in any other kind of Blue deck.
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive: This reprint murdered me a ton in Dominaria, and I’m sure it’ll do the same in FRA.
Non-Creatures
Infinite Coursework: Sure!
Perfected Theory: It’s not quite a removal spell, but it’s similar. It can’t quite punch the opponent in the face, but it’s close.
Unsummon: Pseudo-removal isn’t good in every Limited environment, but FRA has some characteristics that make me think it’ll be good in this one.
Black
Creatures
Danitha, Spear of Agony: In some sets she’d be… okay. In this set, the Stingerquill Prepared spell targets an opponent.
Mabel, Bitter Recluse: A one mana creature with deathtouch will always be annoying for your opponent, and this one is also great at picking off low-loyalty Jace tokens or stripping some counters off of an over-aggressive threat.
Proft, Sinister Mastermind: No, you will not cast him as a 5/5 menace threat on turn 3. But he’ll still be extremely threatening when you cast him in the future, and in the meantime he’ll be a reasonable combat trick if you need him to be.
Non-Creatures
Break Under Pressure: There are admittedly some situations where this won’t kill what you want it to kill. But most of the time…
Extended Absence: If you want something gone, it’s gone. The life drain is a nice bonus!
Last Gasp: It’ll usually get rid of something, and can punch up as a combat trick.
Red
Creatures
Chandra’s Emberling: Even better in a set featuring the Prepared mechanic.
Heartstring Puller: It’s always nice to get two bodies from one card.
Tomik, Izzet Sparkmage: There is a large amount of noncombat damage floating around this set.
Non-Creatures
Fulminous Forte: Five damage at instant speed is a lot. And maybe you’ll find a reason to use the other mode.
Violent Echoes: This is a difficult card to evaluate, but would I pay four mana to do three damage to a creature and draw a card? I think I would.
Way of the Pyromancer: Reliable Red ramp sounds pretty great. Don’t underestimate the value of giving your Jace tokens a +1 ability.
Green
Creatures
Ghalta the Unstoppable: Play a 4/4 on turn 4, and this 8/8 super-trampler becomes a turn 5 play.
Ruric Thar, Magecrusher: You may not be sure what he’ll end up doing once he hits the board, but you can be assured that he’ll definitely do something.
Yoshimaru, Scrappy Stray: Green does not have a lot of removal in this set. This feels less like a creature and more like a sorcery-speed fight spell that happens to leave a body behind.
Non-Creatures
Compel Brutality: Instant speed punch that also allows your Jace to come in swinging.
Hunter’s Axe: This is a remarkably cheap way to make your opponents hate blocking. Bonus points if you equip it to a creature that already has trample or deathtouch.
Tethermage’s Advantage: Like I said above, Green does not have a lot of removal in this set. But this will do in a pinch.
Other Commons and Uncommons to Know
Mana Fixing
FRA has a full cycle of ten common dual lands that come in tapped unless you control a planeswalker:
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There’s two more pieces of colorless fixing:
Each color also has a common basic landcycler that can find any basic land:
Green has two additional options that are pretty unique.
Creatures with Reach
Summation
So what should you keep in mind when playing Reality Fracture?
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I’ll say this again: Empower Jace is an extremely difficult mechanic to evaluate. Empower Jace 3 is definitely better than Empower Jace 2, but by how much? What about the difference between Empower Jace 4 and Empower Jace 5? And how do the enchantments which grant planeswalkers additional abilities affect this equation? I suspect it’ll be a while before anyone truly knows.
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Much like Marvel Super Heroes, there are a ton of legendary creatures with unique effects. Some are generically useful, some fit naturally within a defined two-color archetypes, and some might push a player into something new.
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Speaking of archetypes, the non-aggro archetypes have a lot of wiggle room within them. White/Black can go wide or try an aristocrats-style strategy; Green/White can embrace lifegain or lean more into +1/+1 counters; Blue/Black can embrace Threshold-type effects or cards that can be utilized while in the graveyard.
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Further complicating things, there’s a lot of incentive to go 3+ colors. There’s a surprising amount of lifegain in Black, so why not build a Green/White/Black lifegain deck? Does Green’s Heartwood tokens make it trivial for a Green/Black deck to splash Red?
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I think this will be a set that will take a while to figure out, and which will produce unexpected Limited decks that catch people off guard. I’m quite looking forward to the chaos that is sure to follow!
Good luck!
