The Core Set 2019 recently revealed and featured a cycle of “Mares” as described in an article at the mothership site. This cycle is composed of five uncommon Horses that each have an enemy color and can’t be blocked by creatures of that color. I will start with the short details and insights of each of the cards below.

First of all is Shield Mare. This creature is basically the sideboard card versus Red-based decks. It is a 2/3 for three mana, gains you 3 life when it etb, and is unblockable by Red creatures. There is also a bonus 3 life when it is targeted by spells like Lightning Strike or abilities like that of the Chupacabra.

Its best use is probably in a lifegain strategy deck and if ever it is possible once the full M19 spoiler is complete. It can also find a slot in Blue White GPG decks.

Next is Surge Mare for Blue. Two-to-cast, 0/5 p/t, draws you cards, and a late-game mana sink looks to fit in Blue based control decks. Dies to Fatal Push but its main deck use would probably in Blue White Flash decks as a two-drop along with the Merfolk Trickster.

Third is Black’s Plague Mare. When we wished for the banning of the Goblin Chainwhirler and Wizards printed this guy. It is lesser version obviously, but then again, killing off opponents’ 1/1s is still pretty devastating.

The bonus White-unblockable is also good if placed in your Black Aggro deck to get you to advantage in the damage race especially if the opponent is defended by a Knight of Grace.

Fourth is Lightning Mare. Red would probably love to have this in the main deck if the metagame is still infested with Blue-White Control which they already have a good matchup.

There is not many Blue creatures in the metagame that this needs to evade with, though a 3/1 body with pump ability is already a good finisher in the late game. Sad that it dies to the Chainwhirler effect when faced with mirror matches. I would personally have two copies main deck for Mono Red, and two more in sideboard.

The fifth mare is for Green, Vine Mare.

At first, it reminded me of Phantom Centaur which I used as a sideboard on my Blue-Green Madness deck way back in Odyssey Standard. It is already solid for a 5/3 body with Hexproof especially if accelerated with Llanowar Elves, and the Black-unblockable is just an icing on the cake. Now, all we need is someone to make this a trampler, maybe Rhonas.

Last but not least is Diamond Mare, the Horse artifact creature.

Two casting cost 1/3 body is average, the gain life is also meh as it only triggers to your cast spells of the chosen color.

To rank the ‘Mares’ cycle, I would probably prefer it to be:

1.Plague Mare
2.Vine Mare
3.Shield Mare
4.Lightning Mare
5.Surge Mare
6.Diamond Mare

Overall, these are an amazing cycle of Uncommons that you can open in your Core Set 2019 booster packs. Their uses may vary as I have detailed earlier, but I am certain that they can see play in the Standard metagame after M19.

Until the next post.