Dragon's Maze cycles: #1 Fuse Uncommons

Uncommon Fuse cards from Dragon's Maze ranked from 10 to 1 for limited.

Split cards are inherently versatile and the addition of fuse adds a third mode for each. Expect these to be limited powerhouses.

Either memorize what each one of these does or practice reading them sideways. One of the biggest tells of this format will be turning cards sideways to read. Reminder: keep your eyes on your opponent when he draws his card for the turn.

Down & Dirty

Neither side of Down & Dirty is horrible on its own. Mind Rot for 4 is unexciting, but may be a sideboard option against a slow Orzhov deck. Regrowth for 3 is also unexciting. The big problem with this card is that it is 7 mana combined, by which time the Mind Rot half does little. In theory it is a two-for-one, but I want my seven-mana spells to affect the board.

The lack of synergy between the two sides of this spell actually make it more likely to see play in a deck that can only cast one half.

Give & Take

Travel Preparations and Common Bond have demonstrated the sheer power of adding many +1/+1 counters at once. Give should be solid on its own, but I predict it will be very situational when you will want to Take as well. Keep in mind you can split these effects and it may actually be better to do so. Two cards and a bigger dude may often be a better choice than five cards and a tiny dude.

Watch out for now-lethal damage already on a creature when you Take counters off.

This is the fuse card I could see myself being easily wrong about.

Armed & Dangerous

You can tell I'm a control player because it took me several times playing this card to realize i should probably lure my worst guy and get through with the rest of my team including a big guy buffed with double strike.

Is it my fault I would rather take a two-for-one than just win outright?

That being said, this is often a finisher, but it is very vulnerable. Removal on your lured dude is typically bad news for the rest of the team.

Dangerous alone is playable for Lure tricks, but Armed in a non-green deck seems unwise.

Toil & Trouble

I like Toil & Trouble for its versatility. Like Armed & Dangerous, this will often be a finisher in the right deck. Unlike Armed & Dangerous, it is much more resilient. Into an empty hand, this does four to your opponent's dome. Otherwise it will do 4 plus the number of cards in hand, which gets spicy. If you need cards, then it's black's version of Divination. If you have 6 mana, you might as well send a few value points of damage at your opponent, but that will hinder your chance to play any cards you draw.

Note that if you fuse for the full damage package, there is no opportunity to play the cards drawn before the Trouble half resolves. They can play any instants in response to avoid pain.

I predict I will play Toil in a non-red deck, but never Trouble in a non-black one.

Protect & Serve

Martial Glory was a great trick in Boros and I look at Protect & Serve as a more expensive version in a color combination that wants it less than the original. It will take some work to set up a combat two-for-one, but it will work on occasion.

I will probably avoid Protect & Serve unless I can cast both sides and expect a fair amount of creature combat. (Hint: in Azorius, I usually don't, due to evasion and detain)

Profit & Loss

Zealous Persecution cost WB, right?

Loss on its own could be very effective in the right spots. If Profit happens to to be (ahem) profitable at the same time, that is all the better, but when I have this card in hand, I will typically focus on getting Loss to wipe my opponent's board in conjunction with combat.

Of course, from time to time, instant mini-Overrun will just end a game.

Boros may want Profit by itself as a 23rd card, but most black decks will be willing to run Loss alone. It will be a rare aggro-extort deck that will make use of  both sides consistently.

Wear & Tear

Obviously Wear & Tear is not a main deck choice unless the draft format goes nutty somewhere, but this could be a powerful option out of the board. Orzhov in particular has some powerful enchantments, plus it is one of the decks that wants Keyrunes and Cluestones.

Each of these spells is an efficient answer on its own if your opponent shows you multiple enchantments or artifacts game one and it is bonkers if you can get the instant 3-mana two-for-one.

Alive & Well

Alive & Well is solid, but unspectacular. I can't really complain about a Hill Giant token and bonus life gain for one extra white mana will often be welcome.

This is one of the few fuse cards that doesn't threaten a two-for-one, but a reasonable spell with incremental life gain is a nice bonus. Token creators are necessary for Selesnya; other guilds will probably not be too interested. Expect this card to come late in drafts and be perfectly reasonable.

I'm not convinced I want either side of this card without access to the other color. Sometimes you will have an open turn with four mana need a creature, but only about 0.01% of the time will it be correct to play Well on its own. [ed: feels like an overcosted Centaur Healer?]

Turn & Burn

So Good!

Super versatile and blowout city depending on the board state. Do I even need to need to go into why?

This thing is so good it stings when your opponent plays a must-answer threat that can't be Turned and you only have a perfect one-for-one response.

If you don't have a good use for the burn, it can even go to the dome. Don't get sucked in by the danger of cool things and remember you can always burn them for the last two points.

Far & Away

Also SO GOOD!

Far & Away is far and away (eh, eh?) the most versatile fuse card and almost always a blowout for your opponent. Bounce is very strong in this format with all the playable creature enchantments and +1/+1 counters from Simic and Golgari. Be very careful attacking into 3UB.

While both sides are overcosted by a full colorless mana, I am willing to play either side of this card without the means to cast the other, but why would anyone want to?