Kaladesh Remastered finally arrived on Magic: The Gathering Arena last week, adding 303 new cards to the Historic format. The remastered set features cards from the steampunk-themed sets, Kaladesh and Aether Revolt, and there are some powerful cards added for Historic Constructed.
Here's a list of 12 of the best Kaladesh Remastered cards in Historic:
Torrential Gearhulk
When Kaladesh was legal in Standard four years ago, Torrential Gearhulk was a powerful control staple that lets you cast an Instant card from your graveyard without paying its mana cost while providing a 5/6 body with Flash. Six mana is a lot but this card might be what Control decks need in the late game.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
The most powerful Planeswalker from Kaladesh Remastered is a great addition to a variety of red Historic decks. Whether they're Mono Red Burn, red-based Control, midrange, or Big Red, the best Chandra card ever printed and introduced digitally on MTG Arena will surely make an impact in the game's Historic format thanks to its versatility and power level.
The card can get you card advantage while burning an opponent for 2 or you can add two red mana to help you ramp with its first +1 abilities. It can also kill a creature with its -3 burn damage, and if you manage to tick Chandra up to 7 loyalty, you can unleash its game-winning Ultimate that gives you an emblem with "Whenever you cast a spell, this emblem deals 5 damage to any target."
Bomat Courier
Bomat Courier was a staple in aggro decks during Kaladesh block, and it's considered to be one of the best one-to-cast card of all time because of the value it provides for its cheap cost. With no drawback, this tiny Construct can deal early damage thanks to its Haste ability, and after you attack several times and exile a good amount of cards face-down, you can refill your hand by discarding your hand and sacrificing Bomat.
Both Bomat and Chandra are major reasons why Mono Red decks are considered Tier-1 in Historic.
Inventors' Fair
Various Historic Affinity and Historic Monument decks have already been dominating the meta before the release of Kaladesh Remastered, and now the powerful archetype has a new colorless land to add, and it's a fantastic addition that could help you find the Artifact you need from your library. It also helps you gain 1 life every upkeep, and if you're playing the game, every bit of lifegain could matter.
Aetherworks Marvel
Aetherwrorks Marvel is the ultimate boom and bust card from Kaladesh Remastered, and it's easy to see why this powerful legendary Artifact was banned in Standard a few years ago. A potential turn three-or-four Ulamog, the Ceaseleess Hunger is devastating, and getting six energy by turn four is not that difficult if you have the right build. You can also cast one of the big ultimatum cards from Zendikar Rising or any other powerful spell that costs a lot of mana to play, and being colorless gives it flexibility to fit in a variety of decks that want to "cheat out" big spells early.
There are other fun Artifact rares worth crafting in Kaladesh Remastered like Paradox Engine, Panharmonicon, and Aetherflux Reservoir but they are unlikely to make an impact in competitive Historic. Aetherworks Marvel is the most consistent of them all, and as long as you can generate enough energy to activate it, you will have great potential to unlock its terrifying power.
Winding Constrictor
If counters-focused decks with cards you want to Proliferate become competitive enough Historic, Winding Constrictor is must-have staple that could give one additional counter to an Artifact or Creature everytime it gets a counter. Plus, it's an uncommon 2/3 Snake that can provide support to other cards that get counters.
Fatal Push
Following Thoughseize from Amonkhet Remastered, black got another powerful one-mana card in Kaladesh Remastered: Fatal Push. With cheap mana cost and Instant speed, Fatal Push will surely become a staple in black decks that want removal against early threats.
Bloodchief's Thirst from Zendikar Rising is similar but some players may want to run both, or you can sideboard either. This card saw play in Modern and Pioneer formats, so it's not surprising to see it played in Historic.
Sram, Senior Edificer
Sram, Senior Edificer can fit in Azorius Auras, Affinity, and Equipment-focused decks as a card advantage engine. Aura decks no longer have to just depend on Kor Spiritdancer when Sram can also let you draw extra cards when you play Auras. I also won't be surprised if I see an "Eggs" combo deck with Sram and a bunch of small Artifact cards that could unleash a game-winning combo.
Authority of the Consuls
Kaladesh Remastered has provided a strong sideboard card against aggro strategies: Authority of the Consuls This one-drop Enchantment slows creatures down by forcing them to tap when they come into play. Combined with the incidental lifegain when an opponent's creature comes into play, this card can help you survive early aggression, especially against fast decks like Goblins, where they can unleash a Muxus, Goblin Grandee with a bunch of goblins that it can bring out.
Having Authority of the Consuls when they cast Muxus means they don't get to swing Muxus and goblins that come into play the turn they come into play even if they have Haste, so you can survive, giving you time to wipe their creatures with a Wrath of God or any other boardwipe card.
Scrapheap Scrounger
Scrapheap Scrounger is a great addition to black Historic decks that want an early threat that you can return from the graveyard to the battlefield, provided you have another creature in the graveyard to exile. Sure, it may not be able to block but who cares about blocking if you're focused on being aggressive. A two-mana 3/2 body that's great against removal (as long as Scrapheap is not being exiled) can be annoying to your opponent.
Maybe decks like Mono-Black Aggro, Jund Sacrifice, or Rakdos Midrange will add this card.
Metallic Mimic
Kaladesh Remastered features a lot of viable Artifact cards but not all of them have to fit in an Artifact-heavy deck to be efficient. Metallic Mimic is the kind of card that could fit in tribal decks since it can give an additional +1+1 counter to every creature of the chosen card type that comes into play. With the recent release of Jumpstart and Amonkhet Remastered, tribal decks are getting more support, and players who love tribal, should consider Metallic Mimic.
Heart of Kiran
Heart of Kiran was banned in Standard before for being an overpowered Vehicle with Flying and Vigilance. A 4/4 Vehicle with evasion and ease to Crew can a strong early threat as long as you have a creature that will Crew it, and since it's a Vehicle, your opponent may have a hard time killing it since it's immune to Sorcery-speed effects (if not crewed) so it can dodge boardwipes and Sorcery-speed removal.