New Magic: The Gathering Lost Caverns of Ixalan artifact will be a must-include in nearly all Commander decks

It’s spoiler season for Magic: The Gathering, and Lost Caverns of Ixalan has delivered some real heat. One artifact in particular could easily become a must-include for Commander decks going forward. Especially when it comes to decks that can put a card into play without paying its mana cost, or ramping up in the early game. If it’s not included in the main board, it is definitely a must-have for your side board.

While I’ve seen quite a few powerful Lost Caverns of Ixalan cards so far for this upcoming Magic: The Gathering expansion, Chimil, the Inner Sun might be my favorite so far.

---

Magic: The Gathering’s Lost Caverns of Ixalan reveals the powerful Chimil, the Inner Sun

Chimil, the Inner Sun in MTG (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

As a long-time Magic: The Gathering player, I’m torn on how I feel about this new Lost Caverns of Ixalan card. My brain screams “This is overpowered, play this in every deck you can”, and my next thought is “But what if people immediately counter or remove it”? However, that’s what makes MTG such a fun card game.

Chimil, the Inner Sun is not a card you cast, it’s a card you sneak into play when your opponent has no responses. Then, you keep some mana aside to keep it in play. Why? What’s it do that’s so great?

Let’s look at that:

Chimil, the Inner Sun

• Mana Value: 6
• Card Type: Legendary Artifact
• Rarity: Rare
• First Ability: Spells you control can’t be countered.
• Second Ability: At the beginning of your end step, Discover 5.

That first ability, “Spells you control can’t be countered” is already great. It’s probably for the best that this spell can be countered, because it would be far overpowered otherwise. This Lost Caverns of Ixalan artifact has a second ability that makes it worth using in your Magic: The Gathering decks.

It’s the free Discover every turn that I think is wildly powerful. There are surely going to be tons of cards with a 5 or lower mana value in every deck that are worth casting. You get this from every single one of your end steps, which is non-stop value.

Since I’m looking at this from the lens of a Commander setting in Magic: The Gathering, I know how easy it is to get 6 mana in a couple of turns. You could see people dropping this incredibly early in games and being safe for at least a few more.

The downside to cards like this is that they likely make you a target. Now, players are going to want to remove it from the board and you from the game, so you stop playing cards like Chimil, the Inner Sun.

---

I can see this being at the very least a sideboard card in virtually every deck in Commander, for the time being.

Only time will tell how powerful this Lost Caverns of Ixalan card is in Magic: The Gathering, but I’ve got a good feeling about it right now. Chimil, the Inner Sun, isn't the only fun artifact we've seen so far.