Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Sunburst and the math of color spent 🧙♂️
Lunar Avenger stands as a captivating relic from Fifth Dawn, an artifact creature — a golem that wears its math on its sleeve. At a glance, you see a seven-mana investment for a 2/2 body, but the real payoff sits in the sunburst mechanic: this enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each color of mana spent to cast it. In plain terms, the more colors you tap for its casting, the bigger the golem arrives—and the more it can influence the tempo of the game. The tradeoff is elegant: use color to grow, then leverage counters to tilt the battlefield in your favor. And if you ever need to swing the board quickly, you can spend one of those counters to grant flying, first strike, or haste until end of turn. It’s a two-step puzzle you solve with your mana base and your timing, not with sheer force. 🔥
What those numbers really mean at the table
Sunburst is all about color, not mana amount. The maximum number of +1/+1 counters Lunar Avenger can have when it hits the battlefield is five (one for each color of mana: white, blue, black, red, green). That means a fully powered Lunar Avenger can emerge as a 7/7 if you manage to spend all five colors on its casting. But the real world of play—especially in older sets like Fifth Dawn—comes down to your mana base and how many colors you actually commit to casting it.
- One color = 1 counter → a 3/3 Lunar Avenger. A surprisingly robust start, and a reminder that even “singular” mana strategies can surprise you.
- Two colors = 2 counters → a 4/4 chassis with staying power and a reasonable threat in the midgame.
- Three colors = 3 counters → a 5/5 baseline, often the most common outcome in typical three-color decks of the era or modern variants with tri-color ramps.
- Four or five colors = 4–5 counters → a whopping 6/6 to 7/7 presence by the time the dust settles, assuming you can sustain the mana base to pay for those colors.
To translate this into a rough probability model, imagine a three-color deck with equal chances to produce mana in each color for the seven mana you must spend. In that simplified scenario, it’s most probable you’ll use all three colors, with a meaningful chance you’ll land on exactly two colors and a small chance you’ll end up using just one color. A back-of-the-envelope calculation gives you roughly a 82–83% chance of hitting all three colors, about 17% for exactly two colors, and well under 1% for only one color. The expected number of colors (and thus counters) lands near 2.8—close to a solid 3 counters on average. Real games, of course, vary with mana bases, mana rocks, and the occasional colorless ramp. Still, the math nudges you toward envisioning Lunar Avenger as a multicolor-friendly grower that rewards thoughtful mana planning. 🧙♂️🎲
“Sunburst isn’t just a mechanic; it’s a map. You plan your color portfolio, and the card responds with a glow of growth.”
Practical play: timing, triggers, and when to flip the switch
Activated abilities rarely “trigger” in the same sense as classic card draw or mill bonuses; Lunar Avenger’s buff comes from counters you accumulate and then spend. The decision to remove a counter to grant flying, first strike, or haste is a micro-decision each turn—one that can swing a single combat or unlock a sudden alpha strike. In the late game, those counters become precious fuel for tempo plays or surprise endgames. If you’re ramping into a 7-mana spell with sunburst, your first concern is often board presence; the second is protecting that presence by making the golem evasive (flying) or dangerous (haste/first strike) in the moment it matters most. The versatility is a quiet form of insurance: even if the board is unfavorable, a timely buff can peel a victory from a tight matchup. 💎⚔️
When drafting deck ideas around Lunar Avenger, aim for a mana base that supports genuine color variety without compromising consistency. If your strategy leans toward a three-color core, you’ll likely live in the sweet spot of 2–3 counters most games, with occasional 4 or 5-counter days when you draw the right mix of mana sources and rocks. If you’re chasing a five-color build, set aside room for mana-fixing and mana-doubling effects to push the odds of five-color casts higher. And don’t forget the counters: each one you remove to grant haste can propel a decisive attack or salvage a stalled board state. 🎨🔥
Deckbuilding takeaways: maximizing the probability of impact
- Opt for a mana base that supports the colors you want to see. If you want three colors reliably, include duals, fetches, or other fixers that keep those colors flowing consistently.
- Balance ramp with resilience. Artifact ramp, color fixing, and some sweepers or spot removals help Lunar Avenger stay relevant as the game evolves from the early tempo into the mid and late stages.
- Leverage the removal ability for value. Granting flying can blunt ground defenses, first strike can trade efficiently, and haste can push through lethal blows when the opponent’s life is thin.
- Know the meta. If your playgroup loves big, splashy five-color plays, Lunar Avenger can shine as a surpriser with its sunburst payoff and the tactical flexibility of its counters.
Lore, art, and collectibility notes
Paolo Parente’s art for Lunar Avenger captures a bygone era of Magic where color and machine intertwined with a touch of steampunk charm. The card appears in Fifth Dawn as an uncommon artifact creature—Golem—an era that celebrated Sunburst across several artifacts and multi-color strategies. In the current market, Lunar Avenger sits with modest price points, often a few cents for non-foil copies and modestly more for foils. Its EDHREC footprint is niche but beloved by players who treasure the tactile history of Magic’s color-marrying era. While the card isn’t a stalker of the stat charts in modern staples, it remains a delightful curiosity for those who adore the heady math of sunburst and the tactile thrill of a well-timed buff. 🧙♂️🎲
As a collector’s note, you’ll find Lunar Avenger in the Fifth Dawn set (5dn), with a charming rarity in uncommon and a genuine foil option for those who chase shiny, retro-tinged artifacts. The old-school feel, combined with a surprisingly practical ability set, makes it a talking point at casual tables and a curiosity for vintage players who still savor the turn-of-the-millennia magic. If you’re exploring a nostalgic build or simply collecting that classic sunburst vibe, this golem provides a surprisingly tangible link between probability and performance.
Interested in a little crossover promotion that’s as modern as it is practical? Check out the product below and imagine pairing your nostalgic MTG desk setup with a sleek, glossy phone case that echoes the same meticulous craft found in Fifth Dawn’s color-forward design. It’s a small way to celebrate the multiverse while you shuffle and strategize. 🎲💎