We knew the new planeswalker, Oko, was going to be in Throne of Eldraine. However, we had no idea about his abilities, his color identity, or anything else to do with his card. Now his card is finally out, and we can attempt to break it down. It’s a bit strange and raises a few questions about the set. Let’s jump right into it!
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Oko, Thief of Crowns
For 3 mana in the simic colors, Oko, Thief of Crowns is a legendary planeswalker with 4 starting loyalty. He has 3 abilities, each unique in function. His +2 grants you a “Food token”. What exactly is a Food token? There’s no reminder text to explain what it is, and there’s never been a Food token before in Magic. It’s not an artifact or a creature, either, or else we’d have stats or clarification that it’s a specific thing. Whatever it is, it will most likely be a focused mechanic in Throne of Eldraine.
Oko’s +1 turns any artifact or creature into a green 3/3 elk. This can either be offensive or defensive depending on how you use it. You can slowly turn your treasure tokens into creatures, or turn your opponent’s best threat into a harmless 3/3. Do note that this change is permanent and does not end after a turn.
The -5 “ultimate” ability is fairly easy to reach, but its viability is format dependent. If there are a bunch of great creatures to take with low power, it’ll be strong. In older formats, this could prove very powerful, taking creatures that can grow like Tarmogoyf, Champion of the Parish, Glistener Elf, and more!
Is Oko good enough to see play? In Standard, that answer will depend on how good Food tokens are and what the meta looks like. For other formats, it depends on their meta and what decks are willing to play blue and green together. What do you think of Oko, Thief of Crowns? What decks do you plan on trying him in? Let us know down in the comments below.
