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Drafting with Rona’s Vortex in Dominaria United

When you’re blazing through a blue-black lane in Dominaria United, a single-mana instant with a twist can define the tempo of your whole game. Rona’s Vortex is that subtle gem: a clean, early answer that scales into late-game pressure if you commit to its kicker. On the surface, it’s a humble blue instant that returns a non-controlled creature or planeswalker to its owner’s hand. But the kicker—pay {2}{B} to push that whole reset onto a deeper plane—offers a second, even more punishing layer: if you kick it, the target doesn’t just go back home; it heads to the bottom of its owner’s library. That small change can derail an opponent’s plan for the next couple of turns and turn a temporary tempo swing into long-term disruption. 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

The card sits in the blue-leaning spectrum of strategies that love to cripple big threats while maintaining a stable defense. In the Dominaria United environment, you’ll find that the set’s combination of removal, efficient dorks, and resilient threats rewards players who think about tempo, card parity, and “when to pull the trigger.” Rona’s Vortex ticks all those boxes: it’s flexible enough to slot into a tempo or control shell, and its kicker gives you a late-game weapon when your hand is full of cheap blue cantrips and black removal. The art and flavor—a vortex that whisks away critical permanents—feel right at home in a world where old alliances and shifting loyalties shape every skirmish. 🎨⚔️

What makes it shine in play?

• Low upfront cost, big late-game payoff. At its base, you pay U for an instant that clears a problematic non-controlled permanent. That’s a tempo play you can squeeze into almost any blue deck, especially when you’re racing for answers to prominent foes.
• Kicker adds inevitability. When you choose to pay {2}{B} as you cast it, you threaten a stronger exchange: bounce not just a single threat, but deny your opponent the possibility of reusing a key permanent—putting it on the bottom of their library. In the late game, that can deny a big threat from reappearing or stall an opponent who relies on recurring value. 🧙‍♂️
• Mana curve friendly in multi-color drafts. The single blue mana in the base cost makes it easy to slot into UB or URx builds, while the kicker cost taps into a more back-and-forth black splash that can punish stubborn opponents who cling to their best threats.
• Disruption that scales with the board state. In early turns, you’re buying time and keeping an opposing plan in check; in mid to late game, the kicker version becomes a sort of “shuffle your opponent’s engine” tool, reducing their library predictability and accelerating fatigue. ⚔️

When should you prioritize this card in a draft?

In a typical draft environment, Rona’s Vortex earns its spot when your ulterior plan revolves around tempo, disruption, and a color pair that can reliably support both the bounce and the incidental discard or removal packages you’ll want alongside it. If you’re drafting a Dimir or blue-black tempo shell, it’s almost a no-brainer. If you’re color-splashing into blue more broadly, the card still pays dividends as early as turn two or three, especially when you’re facing aggressive starts that need a clean answer. The kicked mode is your anchor card late in the game against control or midrange decks that rely on recurring threats. In those moments, you’re not just bouncing a threat—you’re reshaping how your opponent navigates their own victory conditions. 🧙‍♂️💎

Rona’s Vortex shines when you pair it with other bounce effects and selective removal. It’s the sort of card that rewards careful sequencing—you hold onto it in the early turns, play it as a tempo play when needed, and then flip the switch on the kicker if the board dictates a deeper disruption. The result is a deck that feels like a steady stream of careful interruptions, punctuated by moments of decisive removal that tilt the game in your favor. And yes, the artful moment when you snap the kicked version—sending an opponent’s win-con to the bottom of their deck—feels satisfying in the most MTG way possible. 🧙‍♂️🔥🎲

For players who enjoy the tactile thrill of drafting, Rona’s Vortex is a reminder that a well-timed bounce can be more than a simple setback—it can be a strategic pivot that buys you time while your plan comes online. It’s a card that rewards attention to timing, sequencing, and the subtle art of keeping your opponent guessing about when you’ll pull the trigger on the Vortex. And if you’re keeping score, it’s the kind of common-uncommon gem that reminds us why we love the drafting grind—the little decisions that echo long after the draft table has cleared. 🎨💎

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