The Jolly Balloon Man might be a Boros Commander, but this nightmarish clown from MTG’s Duskmourn: House of Horror set would be much more at home in the Cult of Rakdos.
MTG’s Duskmourn set is breaking new ground for a horror-focused Magic: The Gathering set. Gone are the gothic chills of the fan-beloved Innistrad, as Duskmourn focuses on frights and delights from the 80s onwards.
Alongside the flickering TV-static geists that would be right at home in an analog horror series, Duskmourn’s tribute to slasher films comes in the form of the Razorkin. The Jolly Balloon Man is a key component of that faction, proving that coulrophobia never goes out of fashion.
Previously, the Clown Creature type had been exclusive to Magic’s comedy-focused Unfinity, but The Jolly Balloon Man debuts the archetype in a major MTG set.
Hitting the battlefield for a cost of 1RW, The Jolly Balloon Man is a Legendary 1/4 with Haste. While its stats make for an underwhelming attacking Creature, especially in a typically aggressive color combo like Boros, this Creature is much more useful as a utility pick thanks to its tap ability.
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By paying one generic mana and tapping The Jolly Balloon Man, this card allows you to create a Balloon token Creature that is a copy of an existing Creature you control. This ability can only be activated as a Sorcery.
The Baloon has stats of 1/1, but also flying and haste, allowing it to attack or tap right away. The token will be sacrificed at the beginning of the next end step.
By coping Creatures that receive buffs without caring about their base stats, this Commander can ensure you will deal a chunk of hard-to-block damage every turn.
However, The Jolly Balloon Man’s real value is in doubling up on ETB effects and sacrifice triggers, making surprisingly tactical plays despite its chaotic, maniacal design.