Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Red tempo with a twist: Auntie Blyte in Jumpstart 2022 drafts
There’s something delightfully chaotic about Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence. A legendary Devil Advisor who sneaks into red’s wheelhouse with a flying speed and a twisty payoff, Blyte invites you to draft with a wink and a chain of self-inflicted incentives. In Jumpstart 2022, where you’re stacking two themed piles into a single game, Blyte’s two or three turns of ramp and burn potential can turn a middling red deck into a late-game thunderclap. And yes, the art by Tatiana Kirgetova brings that mischievous, gleeful menace to life—fire in the eyes, shadows in the corners, and just enough mischief to keep your table on edge. 🧙♂️🔥💎
Card snapshot: what it does, how it shines
- Mana cost: 2R (CMC 3) — a clean, quick splash into a red aggressive or midrange plan.
- Type: Legendary Creature — Devil Advisor
- P/T: 2/2
- Abilities:
- Flying, which means Blyte can threaten opponents early and dodge many ground blockers in tight draft windows.
- “Whenever a source you control deals damage to you, put that many +1/+1 counters on Auntie Blyte.” This is the real head-turner. In a draft environment, you’re looking for ways to cause harm to yourself that are still within your deck’s plan—think burn spells or red chaos that you’re happy to bite the bullet for. The payoff is a growing threat that scales with your audacity. 🧙♂️
- “{1}{R}, {T}, Remove X +1/+1 counters from Auntie Blyte: It deals X damage to any target.” This is old-school red—burn with a twist. As Blyte accumulates counters, you can unleash a bigger blow from a single activation, turning a sticky board into a sudden finish line. The caveat? You’re removing counters, so the window to maximize the damage is a fragile balance between risk and reward. ⚔️
- Set and rarity: Jumpstart 2022 (J22), mythic rarity. A rare spectacle in a draft-driven format, and a reminder that red can be sexy with a side of chaos. 🎨
- Colors: Red — a color known for speed, direct damage, and big, punchy finishes. Blyte fits that mold while adding a personal, self-damaging twist that rewards daring play.
Draft value: when to pick and why
In a Jumpstart draft, you’re often balancing pure power with the tempo of your two-card starter and the synergy between pairs. Auntie Blyte stands out as a high-variance, high-reward pick. Here’s how to think about it in a typical red-dominant draft window:
- Early to mid-game threat growth: Blyte starts as a 2/2 flyer. That’s not a world-beater on turn three, but the real lift comes from the counters. Every time you can trigger self-damage from sources you control, Blyte grows a little more threatening. In a fast red shell, that incremental growth can become a runway to a late-game blitz. 🪄
- Self-damage as a design space: The card explicitly rewards you for taking damage from your own spells or effects. If your draft pool contains enablers—direct-damage spells, chaotic sideboard cards, or other red staples that nudge life totals downward—you can lean into this mechanic. It’s a deliciously risky engine that often forces players to think twice about their own damage limits. 🔥
- Versatility in the final burn: The ability to convert counters into targeted damage gives Blyte a built-in removal option for planeswalkers, blockers, or pesky permanents, at a cost. It’s not a “free” burn, but when fuel is cheap and the counters are tall, Blyte can swing the momentum in a single turn. ⚡
- Deck-building caveats: If your pool skews heavily toward aggressive, low-curve red, Blyte may be a solid probe—especially if you spot multiple self-damage payoffs in the same pool. If your deck leans to midrange or multi-color value, Blyte’s upside might depend more on your ability to protect and reclaim life totals or to pivot into a burn spell nightcap. 🎲
How to prioritize Blyte in a draft window
Consider these practical guidelines when you’re deciding to pick Blyte in Jumpstart 2022 or similar draft environments:
- Two-card synergies beat one-card wonder: If you’re seeing access to self-damage enablers or red removal that can combo with Blyte’s counters, you’re building toward a single, explosive line. Don’t chase Blyte in isolation; chase the rhythm of your red deck’s tempo and your ability to leverage the counters later. 🧙♂️
- Risk-aware timing: If you’re in early picks, Blyte is a “maybe” while you lock in a more consistent red shell. If you’re later in the draft and your pool has room for a spicy, game-changing threat, Blyte can slot into a midrange-red plan and deliver a surprising spike. 🔥
- Board state matters: In a crowded board with a lot of battlefield presence, Blyte’s flyers and ability to reallocate damage can create a pressure point your opponents haven’t accounted for. In open boards, she can be a tempo play that forces awkward blocks and awkward trades. 🎯
- Sideboard considerations: If you’re drafting with a more flexible two-deck approach, treat Blyte as a conditional bomb—great in a red-dlooded arc, less attractive in a tight, control-heavy environment where you’ll be wary of self-damage pulling you off your plan. 💥
Flavor, design, and the feel of red chaos
Blyte embodies a charming paradox: a deck’s most dangerous engine becomes a resource if you manage risk well. The card design plays into that classic red-tinged thrill—forcing you to weigh the joy of a flying 2/2 with the tremor of self-inflicted growth and the brutal utility of a scalable burn. It’s a reminder that MTG isn’t just about raw stats; it’s about timing, risk, and the art of turning a fragile plan into a blowout finish. The Jumpstart 2022 frame keeps the chaos contained enough to feel collectible, while the mechanics sing to players who love to push a little too far and laugh when it pays off. 🎨🎲
“Drafting Auntie Blyte is a dare you take with a grin. If you can read the room and manage your risk, she can surprise you into a win.”
If you’re scouting for ways to diversify your draft day experience, consider pairing Blyte with a red-heavy approach that embraces tempo, direct damage, and a few self-inflicted payoff moments. It’s the kind of pick that rewards experimentation and rewards your table’s cautious skepticism with a dramatic payoff. And speaking of payoffs, if you’re optimizing your desk space for victory and style, check out the customization splash at our store. A little personalized gear can make your MTG sessions feel legendary.
For fans who love the tactile thrill of a red-hot draft, Blyte’s not merely a card—it’s a mirror of the moment you lean into risk and watch the counters climb as the table murmurs in anticipation. 🧙♂️🔥💎