Robber of the Rich revealed in Throne of Eldraine spoilers

Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor was Robin Hood’s creed. In Magic: The Gathering Throne of Eldraine spoilers, Robber of the Rich embodies that same ideal, taking your opponent’s cards if he has more than you. Rich blue players, beware — your card advantage can cost you now!

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Breakdown

For 2 mana in red, Robber of the Rich is a 2/2 Human Archer Rogue with reach and haste. Whenever Robber of the Rich attacks, if the defending player has more cards in hand you get to exile the top card of their deck. As long as you attack with a Rogue, you can cast it and spend mana of any color on it. This effect fully embodies the flavor of Robin Hood.

How good is this effect? It is a neat idea for aggressive red decks. A 2/2 with haste isn’t unreasonable by any stretch. You’ll often have fewer cards than your opponent, so fulfilling that condition won’t be hard to meet either. However, if you at any time run out of Rogues or can’t attack, you won’t be able to use the card you exiled. You also cannot play lands with this effect, and you don’t get any selection on the card you exile (unlike Thief of Sanity or Gonti, Lord of Luxury).

In Standard, the effect is playable, but right now red has better options if it’s looking for card advantage. Experimental Frenzy and Light Up the Stage both give you more cards with a much easier condition to meet. Eternal formats also have better options in red as well, such as Seasoned Pyromancer. The card could shine in Commander, as part of a Rogue tribal deck. You’ll have tons of Rogues to attack with and be able to hit whatever sweet bomb your opponent might have in their deck. The effect will also be easier to pull off since there will usually be at least one player with more cards than you. Overall, Robber of the Rich is a solid card, but the play it will see will likely be minimal.

What do you think of Robber of the Rich? Is there a deck you think it has a home in? Stay tuned for Magic: The Gathering Throne of Eldraine spoilers!