Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Boosting Reach of Shadows: Essential Supporting Spells
Reach of Shadows is a compact gem from Fate Reforged, a black instant with a clear mission: erase a creature that wears one or more colors. At first glance, five mana for a guaranteed kill on a colorful threat might feel pedestrian, but in the right shell it becomes a linchpin. This card’s flavor text—Ghelesh Shadowmane’s quip about fools and cowards—hooks you into a world where cunning and discipline outlast raw power. 🧙♂️ In practice, Reach of Shadows shines when it’s paired with a slate of credible removal options that cover the rest of the battlefield. The result is a disciplined, midrange to control plan that punishes bloated boards and punishes color-splash threats with surgical precision. 🔥
One of the beauties of Reach of Shadows is its reliability against a wide array of threats. Colored creatures—from nimble faeries to colossal dragons—risk being gobbled up by this incantation when you’ve got a firm read on your opponent’s color choices. It’s the kind of spell that scales with your late-game plans: you don’t always need to be flashy, but you do need to be precise. And in a multiplayer or commander setting, a well-timed Reach of Shadows can swing life totals and tempo in your favor. ⚔️
Five stand-out cards that elevate Reach of Shadows
- Doom Blade — The classic one-for-one removal that cleanly answers nonblack creatures. By itself Doom Blade covers threats Reach of Shadows may struggle with, and together they form a reliable one-two punch against multicolor behemoths. The pairing lets you pace the board while keeping pressure on the most threatening cards your opponents deploy. 🧙♂️
- Go for the Throat — A clean, efficient answer to nonartifact creatures. It’s cheap enough to cast early for tempo, yet potent enough to remove virtually any body that crosses your path. When you couple Go for the Throat with Reach of Shadows, you can systematically clear diverse threats while you soften the ground for big finishers. 🔥
- Murder — A straightforward, two-mana or so removal spell that annihilates any creature. The universality of Murder makes it a natural partner for Reach of Shadows, allowing you to switch from color-focused removal to broad removal without losing momentum. The synergy here is about predictability and pace—taking care of a green stomper while Reach of Shadows handles the colorful labors of your opponents. 💎
- Hero's Downfall — A versatile threat removal that can hit either a creature or a planeswalker. This expands Reach of Shadows’s reach (pun intended) beyond creatures, enabling you to pressure opposing bodies and their resource engines in tandem. In formats where planeswalkers loom large, this pairing becomes a stabilizing force that keeps you in the game longer. 🎨
- Terminate — A robust, versatile option that destroys a target creature, regardless of its colors. In a deck using Reach of Shadows to handle the colored threats, Terminate helps you stay efficient against broad boards. The strength lies in tempo: you remove a threat, then swing back with your plan as the board state shifts in your favor. 🎲
Beyond raw removal, consider the strategic mindset: Reach of Shadows rewards you for sequencing. Play a colorless threat to bait an answer, then collapse with Reach of Shadows for the actual kill. Add draw or filtering to ensure you’re grabbing the right answers when you need them, and you’ll feel the satisfaction of a game plan that’s both aggressive and resilient. In practice, a lean black package with a couple of targeted colorless options becomes a catalyst for midrange inevitability. 🧙♂️🔥
Flavor, art, and design all weave into this experience. Daarken’s illustration for Reach of Shadows places a rakshasa mage at the heart of the action, embodying cunning and lethal precision. The card’s black frame and Fate Reforged era styling nod to a time when multicolor decks were pushing the boundaries of what "colored mana" could mean on the battlefield. That sense of balance between elegance and menace is part of why the card remains a favorite among fans who enjoy both the lore and the mechanics. The line, “Is it better to be a fool or a coward? Fools may get things done occasionally, but cowards live longer,” resonates as a small wink to players who know when to strike and when to fold. ⚔️
And if you’re heading to a casual night or a weekend tournament with your Reach of Shadows build, you’ll want reliable ways to carry your deck and keep your gear in peak condition. For a little flair and practical portability, check out the Neon Card Holder Phone Case MagSafe Polycarbonate—clever, sturdy, and ready to tag along with your MTG adventures. It’s the kind of product that doesn’t distract from the game but reinforces the ritual of play. 🧙♂️💎
Ready to level up your kit? The Neon Card Holder Phone Case MagSafe Polycarbonate is a stylish companion that plays nicely with travel-friendly, on-the-table setups. It’s a tiny nod to the community that loves a good combo—art, strategy, and a touch of neon polish.
Neon Card Holder Phone Case MagSafe Polycarbonate
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