MTG Duskmourn Artifact is a big boost to spellslinging with a deadly catch

Cursed Recording is a brand-new Artifact launching in the MTG’s upcoming Duskmourn set. This red-mana card can help you double up on the power of your spells, but relying on it too much will prove dangerous by design.

This red-mana Artifact can be cast for 2RR. It has a hugely impactful tap ability, allowing you to copy a single Instant or Sorcery on a given turn, doubling up on the power of your most impactful plays.

However, despite this seeming like a must-have for any red spellslinger decks, Cursed Recording naturally comes with a drawback. Whenever you cast an Instant or Sorcery, this card gains a time counter. Once seven counters have been amassed, they are removed and Cursed Recording deals a whopping 20 damage to its controller.

Through this, the Artifact forces you to consider your plays wisely, making the most of a select number of spells rather than building up the Storm count through dozens of cantrips. Cursed Recording’s self-burn is hugely harmful in the Commander format, but it’s intended to be lethal in default 20-life formats like Standard.

However, there is a way around Cursed Recording’s self-damage effect. Decks like Universes Beyond: Doctor Who’s Timey Wimey offer ways to both increase and remove time counters, allowing you to adjust the amount on this card and keep it out of the lethal range.

Additionally, if Cursed Recording is bounced back to its owner’s hand, all the counters on it are removed. Through this, you can cast the card again and start racking up Instants and Sorceries for longer before the damage comes your way.

WotC

This Artifact plays into Duskmourn’s 80s-style technology, using the ‘cursed videotape’ trope popularised by The Ring.

Elements like CRT TVs show Wizards continuing to experiment with Magic’s genre, following the success of boundary-pushing outings like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty and Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

It’s been a hugely impactful few sets for Izzet spellslinging decks in MTG, beginning with Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

MTG’s Wild West set brought the hugely powerful Storm ability back to prominence thanks to cards like Crackling Spellslinger. The Thunder Junction Quick Draw Commander pre-con quickly became notorious for its power level. Stella Lee, Wildcard set a new standard for pre-con Commanders in modern-day magic, with cEDH viability and easy access to multiple two-card infinites.

Modern Horizons 3 continued the Spellslinger trend with the incredible flip-walker Ral, Monsoon Mage, and Ral’s return in otter form in Bloomburrow is a suitably powerful follow-up.

If Cursed Recording is any indication, Duskmourn will round off a hugely successful year for red-mana spellslingers.