Magic: The Gathering - Core Set 2021's New Red Planeswalker Deck, Explained

Wizards of the Coast will be releasing Core Set 2021 for Magic: The Gathering later this year, which will include a quintet of new mono-colored Planeswalker Decks. Naturally, Chandra -- who was the first-ever Red planeswalker, having appeared in the Lorwyn expansion -- takes charge of the Red deck. Here's how to use Chadra and the Red cards she'll be joined by in M21.

Red mana, philosophically speaking, is the color of emotions, freedom and expression. It is never quiet or subtle; Red mana is proud of its qualities and will gleefully share them, whether everyone likes it or not. This mana comes from fire, lava and the very earth, and in gameplay terms, this translates into a fast, aggressive, destructive strategy that leaps before looking. And it can usually get away with such antics. Above all, Chandra is a pyromancer. However, she also has an affinity for casting spells with reckless abandon and can ally with nearly any Red creature, from phoenixes and fire mages to hellions.

Every single card revealed for the Red planeswalker in M21 tells the opponent "I'm coming for you!" First up is a new common, Storm Caller, a 3/2 Ogre Shaman costing 2R. Those are routine stats for a common red creature, but this ogre brings some extra firepower up front. When it enters the battlefield, it can deal 2 damage to each opponent, which is classic Red: hit the ground running, take everyone by surprise and never let up. That 2 damage, followed by 3-power attacks on the ground, is impressive for a common.

In the uncommon slot, Chandra calls upon some monks from her adopted home plane of Regatha. Keral Keep Disciples costs 2RR for a 4/3 Human Monk, which is a bit slow, but it has a lot of hitting power. It can also snipe the enemy player: anytime its controller activates the loyalty ability of a Chandra planeswalker, each opponent will take 1 damage. That, combined with other burn effects and fast attackers, can reduce the opponent to cinders before long. And if that weren't enough, the new rare card is Chandra's Firemaw, a 4/2 Hellion costing 3RR. With haste, it can attack right away, and upon entering the battlefield, it allows the player to look for a Chandra, Flame's Catalyst planeswalker card in the graveyard or library. That Hellion is fragile, but it can take most creatures with it, and it will attack sooner than most creatures can. And it brings Chandra along to watch the chaos.

As for Chandra herself, she appears as Chandra, Flame's Catalyst, costing 4RR and possessing 5 starting loyalty (more than Black planeswalker Liliana or Blue planeswalker Teferi). For the cost of +1 loyalty, this card can deal 3 damage to each opponent with a Lightning Bolt that only targets players. That adds up fast, especially given how Chandra builds up loyalty while doing that. Her -2 ability is not about damage, but Red's habit of casting spells early or in strange ways. She allows the player to cast a Red instant or sorcery from the graveyard, then exile it. Red has weak creatures, but it loves spells that burn things, shake the ground and more. Finally, Chandra's ultimate costs -8, and with it, the player can discard their hand, then draw seven cards. Ideally, this is done when the player has few to no card in hand, so it's all upside. Better yet, the player can cast spells from the hand this turn without paying their mana costs. It's a one-turn Omniscience, Red style. That's bound to settle any game in Chandra's favor.

In terms of why Liliana and Chandra are among M21's planeswalkers despite having frequently appeared over the past few years, Magic Senior Game Designer Max McCall told CBR exclusively, "Planeswalker Decks always feature planeswalkers from the set they release with. The process behind planeswalker selection for main sets is much too involved to get into here – basically, we want Standard to feature a diverse selection of planeswalkers at all times, and Chandra and Liliana were chosen for M21 to further that goal."

McCall also commented on incorporating versions of powerful moves like Omniscience, saying, "Planeswalker ultimates are supposed to be big and splashy. We don’t make planeswalkers to be safe, controlled versions of other cards – we make them to be cool and exciting. Don’t worry, M21 contains many other powerful, exciting cards."

M21's Chandra thinks fast and moves faster. If the flames are hot enough, she can incinerate her enemies before they even know what's happening.

The M21 Core Set releases July 3.

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