Zendikar Green
Green gets a number of interesting monsters, including the most valuable card in the set (and before anyone chimes in with “Black Lotus”, it is most definitely not in the set itself). I am not overly excited by Green for Constructed, but that was unlikely to happen anyway. I’m not against playing Forests, but they have been getting a lot of help lately, so I think it’s fine that Green didn’t get anything too absurd in this set (Lotus Cobra doesn’t fit my definition of absurd, even if I think it’s solid).
As before, here are the point scales I am using:
Constructed
5.0: Multi-format All-Star. Bitterblossom. Tarmogoyf.
4.0: Format staple. Mutavault. Baneslayer Angel.
3.0: Archetype staple. Mulldrifter. Scion of Oona.
2.0: Niche card. Sideboard or currently unknown archetype. Fracturing Gust. (Bear in mind that many cards fall into this “maybe” category, although explanation of why is obviously important)
1.0 It has seen play once. One with Nothing. (I believe it was “tech” vs Owling Mine, although fairly suspicious tech at that.)
Limited
5.0: I will always play this card. Period.
4.5: I will almost always play this card, regardless of what else I get.
4.0: I will strongly consider playing this as the only card of its color.
3.5: I feel a strong pull into this card’s color.
3.0: This card makes me want to play this color. (Given that I’m playing that color, I will play this card 100% of the time.)
2.5: Several cards of this power level start to pull me into this color. If playing that color, I essentially always play these. (Given that I’m playing that color, I will play this card 90% of the time.)
2.0: If I’m playing this color, I usually play these. (70%)
1.5: This card will make the cut into the main deck about half the times I play this color. (50%)
1.0: I feel bad when this card is in my main deck. (30%)
0.5: There are situations where I might sideboard this into my deck, but I’ll never start it. (10%)
0.0: I will never put this card into my deck (main deck or after sideboarding). (0%)
Constructed: 1
The only format where your opponent is consistently playing Artifacts maindeck is Vintage, and it seems pretty clear that the Cage Trap doesn’t work there. As for sideboarding it; why aren’t you just putting in Ancient Grudge or something?
Limited: 3.0
This is probably worse than just a five-mana 4/4 with Flash, since being able to play it for 2 mana isn’t as relevant as the weakness it has to bounce spells. Still, it should be able to eat an unwary attacker most of the time.
Constructed: 1
Woodcrasher is strictly worse than Rampaging Baloths, and it isn’t like they are shoo-ins for Constructed play.
Limited: 3.0
Crashing in for eight a turn is pretty insane, and trample stops any sort of chumpblocking from being effective.
Constructed: 1.0
Waaay to much work for what is a Concentrate at best. Keep hunting.
Limited: 0.0
Even if you draw two off of this, it is a really bad Divination, and it will hit one or zero enough times to not make it even close to worth it.
Constructed: 1
It’s like a slow-motion Overrun, and that delay is too much of a hurdle to overcome. Something like Ajani will give you an instant return, making the Ascension too swingy to be of much use. Also, with Spectral Procession gone, there aren’t enough tokens to really make this even a possibility.
Limited: 4.0
Seven attacks might be a lot, but this is still pretty ridiculous. Getting a few counters on early and then sitting until you have five guys ready to swing in the same turn will be very hard to beat, and once you become the Beastmaster, winning should follow very shortly.
Constructed: 1
The payoff for this just isn’t there; even a whole basket of snakes isn’t enough to get me to play this card.
Limited: 3.0
Baloth Cage Trap this is not. Four 1/1’s are much worse than a 4/4, seeing as you don’t really ambush anything all that profitably. Still, it is quite runnable, and if you have enough Equipment you can get some real mileage out of these snakes.
Constructed: 1
Paul Cheon once had a pretty sweet Champions Block deck that used Journeyer’s Kite and Sensei’s Divining Top as a draw engine of sorts. Does that mean that if Frontier Guide was a mana cheaper to activate it would be good? No, no it does not, but I figured I would share anyway.
Limited: 2.5
In a normal set, this would be pretty miserable, but Landfall makes it worth it. If you have no relevant Landfall cards and aren’t splashing anything, I would stay away from the Guide, but otherwise it’s fine. Also, if you have some enormous 8-drop or something to ramp to, give it a shot.
Constructed: 1
It is kind of funny that the only time the kicker would really be relevant is Constructed, yet this is nowhere near Constructed playable.
Limited: 4.0
Turning a guy into a force to be reckoned with is worth the possibility of getting 2 for 1ed, since Gigantiform should end the game in short order. If you think of it as an 8/8 with Trample and Haste that eats a guy when it comes into play, it looks pretty good. Plus, it even still keeps any neat abilities of its host!
Constructed: 1
While this could gain more life than Kitchen Finks in the long run, Finks was insane because it required multiple cards to actually kill. The Gladeheart might net you three or four life if it sticks around for a turn or two, but the most likely scenario is it just eating a Bolt of some kind.
Limited: 2.5
About as solid and unexciting as you can get, the Gladeheart is of most use in a midrange or control deck. It gives you a decent way to race evasion creatures with your boom-booms, and I’m satisfied playing a few of these.
Constructed: 1
Devoted Druid saw some play, but skipping from 3 to 5 is a lot better than skipping from 4 to 6. You also really don’t want to be playing three-mana spells that only serve to ramp you, since by the time you hit three you can just cast a real spell instead (Kodama’s Reach aside).
Limited: 2.5
Some decks don’t have enough high casting cost spells to really make this great, but it does let you stop playing lands earlier than you normally would, thus giving you more Landfall triggers.
Constructed: 2
Harrow might make a splash in Standard, even though it would take some building around. It does a few different things, which could be enough to interest some decks. It fixes colors, it accelerates, and it triggers Landfall cards. Unfortunately, the fetchlands do a better job of everything but acceleration, and as I said before, three-drop acceleration isn’t really optimal. Also, untapping with a Landfall guy in play is already pretty nuts, so counting on Harrow in that way isn’t the best plan. I wouldn’t be surprised of some decks play Harrow, but it won’t be spectacular.
Limited: 3.5
On the other hand, all the things Harrow does are quite valuable in Limited. Allowing splashes, ramping up, and triggering Landfall are a lot of useful abilities, and this will be a high pick in most Green decks. The later the draft goes, the more information you will have, but in the early packs Harrow is quite desirable.
Constructed: 1
One power AND Vigilance? Sign me up!
Limited: 1.0
Not flatly unplayable, Joraga Bard requires a bunch of friends to be worth playing. A ¼ does an ok job of holding the fort, but at four mana it needs to be triggering Allies to make the cut.
Constructed: 2
Most decks would rather have two cards (Ior Ruin Expedition) than two lands, given that you have to trigger Landfall three times to get them. If there is a deck that can harness the Expedition, such as Scapeshift in Extended, it could see some action, but it takes a lot more setup than the Ior Expedition. Even just playing six or seven mana spells (Cruel Ultimatum probably is still a bit hard to cast) might be enough, but I’m not completely sold.
Limited: 3.0
One of the most awesome parts about Khalni Heart Expedition is watching your opponent miss their 5th land drop, being therefore unable to cast their awesome spells or trigger the Expedition. It is such a dagger that you can’t help but laugh. This doesn’t really help you make land drops, since you are going to have five lands out before you can even trigger it, but it can pick up splash colors and trigger Landfall. That is enough to make it pretty good, even if you shouldn’t just autoplay it in any Green deck. Like I said before, this is one of the most frustrating Quests when you can’t get it to go off, and suffers from all the same variance issues the other Quests do.
Constructed: 3
Part of me wants to give this a “2”, just to see the response it generates. I don’t want to be too hard on the card though, since it is quite a good one. The problem is that everyone went absolutely nuts on it when it was spoiled, which set up unrealistic expectations and triggered a backlash from just about everyone who writes about Magic. I think I’ll pretend that this is the first time I see the Cobra:
OH MY GOD, TURN 3 CRUEL ULTIMATUM!!!!
…
Ok, this time for real. A 2/1 for two that generates 1-2 mana a turn, if you are hitting your land drops, Lotus Cobra is going to be a strong card in most Green-based aggro decks. Enabling a turn three Bloodbraid Elf is pretty sweet, particularly since the Cobra still gets to bash for two. This loses a lot of steam later in the game, and it is kind of awkward that your mana accelerator does nothing if you are land screwed, but it still should pull its weight in a variety of decks. I don’t foresee a whole lot of ramp-Cobra decks, since that really isn’t the best use of the card, but it will see a good level of play. Both the people who say it sucks and the people who say it is insane are off, since there is quite a bit of room between the two possibilities.
Limited: 3.5
Really good in the first few turns, the Cobra soon becomes just another 2/1 a little later in the game. I would always play this in a Green deck, especially since it enables splashes, but don’t go crazy and take it over a removal spell or something.
Constructed: 1
Just like the City government, deckbuilders will generally go with the lowest bidder. Unfortunately for Mold Shambler, Acidic Slime has shaved enough off labor costs to offer the same product for one less mana (with Deathtouch more than making up for the stat reduction). Block might be a possibility, but other than that this will be moldering in the junk box.
Limited: 3.5
The abundance of Equipment makes Shambler’s kicker even better than it looks, and it looks pretty decent. A Hill Giant at worst, Mold Shambler is a consistently good card that any Green deck is glad to have.
Constructed: 2
One loyalty is all it would take to make Nissa insane, but dying to Lightning Bolt is a really big deal in this format. Elvish Warrior isn’t the worst card imaginable, and a steady stream of them is pretty annoying to beat, but the lack of loyalty makes Nissa into a potential card instead of a guaranteed hit. The same decks that will be hindered by the life gain ability have the tools to kill Nissa before she gets to that point, which is kind of awkward. The Ultimate is pretty sweet, but unlike Ajani Vengeant, might be stopped by a Day of Judgement without much harm.
Limited: 1.5
Unplayable with 0 Nissa’s Chosen, playable if you have one, and great once you get multiples. The earlier you see Nissa the better, since if it is late in the draft you have a much smaller chance of picking up enough Chosens to make her playable. I guess if you have enough other elves you could play her as a suspend 5 Tooth and Nail, but that plan seems a little sketchy.
Constructed: 2
Hmm, I wonder under what circumstances this would see play? (Hint: read the Nissa review).
Limited: 2.5
This is definitely more consistently playable than Nissa, although if I saw both in the same pack I would certainly take the Nissa. Elvish Warrior was always a fine card, and even though the abundance of Morphs made Warrior much better, it is still very solid.
Constructed: 1
If only Sensei’s Divining Top was legal in Standard…then we could play Sensei’s Tops and still leave this on the sidelines. Spending four mana for Bolt fodder is just not a good plan, and the effect isn’t even that overwhelming.
Limited: 4.0
Never drawing a land again is pretty unreal, and unless there are three in a row, that is exactly what the Oracle brings. You even get to keep the lands, making all your Landfall dudes go nuts and all your spells easily castable.
Constructed: 1
I guess if you are Mono-Green and realllly need a way to kill Baneslayer, this is kind of like the new Cloudthresher. I always think of it as “Oran Riefcluse”, which is really a much better name.
Limited: 3.5
Another solid Green common option, this is going to be kind of hit or miss. Against decks without fliers it really doesn’t do much, but it is an all-star if they do have them. Seeing as Green is generally kind of weak against fliers, I would suggest picking this guy up if you can.
Constructed: 1
It is getting kind of old, but the Ally deck really isn’t going to happen. This probably has one of the highest chances of being played if it does occur, but I’m not holding my breath.
Limited: 3.5
This is one of the highest-rated Grizzly Bears ever. I guess having the possibility of becoming a two-mana Hill Giant makes this much more impressive, and most broken Ally starts definitely involve this guy. Much like most of Green’s good commons, this guy gets better or worse depending on what your deck looks like.
Constructed: 1
The best thing I can say about this is that it sounds like a show that Chris Hansen could host. I would urge you to avoid this.
Limited: 1.5
I was pretty underwhelmed by this when I played with it in one of the Prerelease events. To make it good, you have to have a bigger guy and have them not have any removal or bounce spell. Once you get it going, you can only hunt smaller guys, which isn’t even always that insane. The upside on this is just not too exciting, especially given the situation it needs to really work. Don’t get me wrong; some games this can just devour all their guys, but I just don’t see that happening often enough to make this really good.
Constructed: 1
They are really pushing Mono-Green beats; between this and Timbermaw Larva I can see an awesome deck forming!
Limited: 2.5
You really only need two Forests to make this playable, and in a heavy Green deck it can be a solid trick. Combat tricks have gotten way worse, so unless you are running 10+ Forests this shouldn’t be that high a pick.
Constructed: 1
You cannot possibly say that this sounds more like a Magic card than a video game, and it has about the same chances of being seen in a tournament setting.
Limited: 3.0
The requirement for this Quest is pretty easy to meet, and once you do you should be able to get good value out of the Gemblades. If your opponent doesn’t have instant speed removal, they will probably not put their guys into a situation where you can blow them out, which generates a pretty strong virtual advantage. Even if they do, they won’t necessarily have the removal spell, since eventually they will have to bite the bullet and let you use the Quest either way.
Constructed: 2
The Prerelease card might actually see some play, which is against the odds. While you want to drop this on turn seven, it is still a pretty large six-drop. If you can hold out until turn seven, it is reminiscent of Broodmate, which isn’t bad.
Limited: 4.0
I had to honor of getting trampled to death by this and its horde of beasts in the 2HG portion of the Prerelease. This is a reason to prioritize Landfall, since it will flat out win you the game in no time.
Constructed: 1
Hull Breach + Nether Void = unplayable.
Limited: 1.0
Not maindeckable, but you want one in your sideboard every time if possible.
Constructed: 3
“Day of Judgment is basically just Wrath, since the regen clause is completely irrelevant in Standard” – me, when Day of Judgment got spoiled.
Whoops.
A nice blast from the past, River Boa is going to annoy control and aggro players alike, as it plays good defense and offense at the same time. Almost unkillable, you can count on it filling out the 2-drop spot for Green aggro decks in the new Standard.
Limited: 3.5
Regenerators are beyond annoying in Limited, which is probably why they print so few of them. Granted, there are a number of common ways to deal with it, but it should be a deciding factor in most games it slithers into. It being unblockable 40% of the time (90% vs me) is just gravy. Snake gravy.
Constructed: 1
The only savage play this will be involved in is you getting 2 for 1ed every time you try and land this. Path to Exile, anyone?
Limited: 2.5
As a rule, creature enchantments are pretty bad, but adding regeneration makes the creature hard enough to kill that it limits your exposure somewhat. I would side this out against decks with more than one bounce spell, but against most decks it presents a pretty unstoppable threat.
Constructed: 3
Scute over Tarmogoyf, your replacement is here. Ok, that is a bit much, but it seems like every Green low drop is the “new Tarmogoyf”, so I figured I would get in on the action. Scute Mob isn’t a card you want to see early, so it is more of a two-of, but it provides some pretty good late-game punch. Ranger of Eos makes it so this guy is assuredly going to see play, since tutoring up a pair of 5/5’s is some pretty sick value. Some control deck might even want a full set of these, with the intention of playing one on turn six with counter backup. That is, if counter-based control is ever a deck again, which I am beginning to doubt.
Limited: 4.0
Limited games always go late enough to make this guy a threat, and you will usually have the time to grow him to a 9/9 at the very least before bashing in. He is pretty easy to kill, but by the time he is good they might have used a few pieces of removal anyway. Even bounce doesn’t wreck you; it’s annoying, but you just spend one mana and play him again.
Constructed: 1
The new Rogue Elephant is missing Winter Orb, and probably wouldn’t be playable even if it was around. Creatures are just too good nowadays, so all you would be doing is running your Tiger into a Putrid Leech.
Limited: 0.0
My vote for the “most played yet still unplayable” card. People seem to only read the power/toughness, and not really dwell on the absurd cost it takes to play.
Constructed: 3
Counterspells might suck in Standard, but they don’t in Extended. Spell Snaring an Elvish Visionary is quite the gamble now, since you might be facing down a Regal Force (or two!). In Standard, actually casting the Trap is a viable plan, since the six mana you spend will be repaid when you drop a Broodmate or Baneslayer into play. If they attack you when you have six mana, you could ambush them with one of the aforementioned fatties, and if they don’t, you get to drop one EOT and bash them anyway.
Limited: 2.0
You have to have enough creatures worth spending six mana on, but if you do, summon away. Getting their counterspell would be a ridiculous blowout, but even paying full retail for a shot at a sick creature isn’t the worst. Don’t take it too highly unless you have some sort of absurd bomb.
Constructed: 1
Green just has all the answers to Baneslayer Angel.
Limited: 1.5
A good sideboard card against the Welkin Tern deck, or a decent maindeck card if you really want to tron up some Allies, the Archer isn’t a very exciting one whichever way you slice it.
Constructed: 1
Moment’s Peace remains the only playable (Green) fog, besides some minor play of Tangle. I don’t count the White fogs, because Turbo-Fog is ridiculous and I refuse to acknowledge it.
Limited: 0.5
Trampling monsters shouldn’t need help; the problem they face is actually staying on the battlefield long enough to do some damage.
Constructed: 1
This may look like it “hoses” control, but come on. Another classic trap, in the vein of Spiritmonger. Enormous monsters that don’t do anything never see play.
Limited: 4.0
The ratio of six mana to sixteen power + toughness is pretty hard to beat. Triple Green is a big commitment, but enormous monsters that don’t do anything are money in Limited (as long as they are as undercosted as this beast). STOMP!
Constructed: 1
If your commons box smells weird, it’s because this guy is marking the only territory he gets.
Limited: 3.0
Classic Fangren Hunters. This guy does the job, even if he will need some help to keep you from getting run over by faster creatures. Combos with Khalni Heart Expedition and Harrow make him a little more than the run of the mill 4/4 he looks like.
Constructed: 1
Being strictly worse than an already unplayable card (Dauntless Dourbark) is not a good place to be.
Limited: 2.5
You don’t need all that many Forests to make him playable, but he will never be exceedingly exciting. Many of the “large” creatures in this set are terrible at blocking, and vulnerable to removal most of the time, and Timbermaw Larva is no exception.
Constructed: 1
There is that pesky “blocking” term again, which is always a death knell for Constructed.
Constructed: 1
Five mana for a 3/3 and a 2/2 doesn’t sound so bad, until you realize you can pay one more and get two Dragons instead. If there was an Ally deck, this guy might make an appearance, but Allies are just unplayable, and this guy doesn’t offer enough to change that.
Limited: 4.0
Any comparison to Broodmate bodes well for Limited, and Turntimber Ranger is a reason to play even the crappiest of Allies. If you manage to make multiple Wolves, it seems very difficult to lose.
Constructed: 1
There is a vast gulf between this and playability.
Limited: 3.0
So boring, yet so playable. I’m being a little unfair, since 5/6 for six is a pretty good combination of stats, but vanilla creatures are called that for a reason.
Constructed: 2
Blessed Breath + take four? This one is likely a stretch, but it would be such a blowout if you cast it during an attack. Green decks get their own version of Brave the Elements, and even though it is much worse, it still might see some sort of sideboard action.
Limited: 2.5
This is actually a somewhat awkward combination of abilities. It doesn’t seem like that would be the case, but how often does playing this in response to removal actually give you value on the +4/+4? Yes, it can be a blowout during combat, but the existence of Vines alone should stop people from running into that.
Constructed: 1
A far sight from playable.
Limited: 1.5
Five-mana 3/3’s with a minor upside are fine, even though I would prefer not to start this in most decks.
Top Five Green Cards for Constructed
5. Nissa Revane/Nissa’s Chosen
4. River Boa
3. Summoning Trap
2. Lotus Cobra
1. Scute Mob
Hmm, all creatures and a spell that summons a creature. I guess that’s Green for ya. It gets a decent but not all that exciting haul, with a bunch of efficient creatures, a hard to use Planeswalker, and a 30 dollar bill.
I have played with scute mobs quite a bit since they were prereleased, and LSV is dead on about them. 2 with 3 or 4 ranger of eos is perfect, since having them in your opener absolutely ruins your day
Comment by Nick — October 1, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
I totally agree with your evaluation of Lotus Cobra, but given the value of the card, there’s absolutely nothing I would pick over it (except if you play in a GP or PT draft obviously). I mean it guarantees your play the next 2 drafts for free, hideous end doesn’t…
Comment by Dave — October 1, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
“I don’t count the White fogs, because Turbo-Fog is ridiculous and I refuse to acknowledge it.”
Oh, but you just did, sir, you just did.
Funniest review yet, enjoyed the caps OMG SNAKE comment since it nicely sums up the initial reactions.
Comment by D — October 1, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
River Boa is going to kill so many people…
Comment by SomeNoob — October 1, 2009 @ 9:29 pm
Where is the limited evaluation of Turntimber Basilisk? Other than that, thanks for writing such entertaining and informative articles. Keep it up.
Comment by Moobah — October 1, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
poor turntimber basilisk…it doesnt deserve a limited review?
Comment by Zach — October 1, 2009 @ 9:48 pm
lol @ snake gravy
Comment by 1024 — October 1, 2009 @ 9:59 pm
Oh come on LSV! T1 Goblin Guide, T2 Warren Instigator, T3 Quest for the Gemblades is such the combo! You KNOW you want to make Instigator or Slaughtermaster a 5/5 Double Striker on turn 3! … or maybe you won’t.
Comment by kryogen — October 1, 2009 @ 10:05 pm
Putrid Leech has officially been ousted by River Boa and Lotus Cobra. The leech is so bad nowadays with all the cheap removal and fetchlands lowering life totals even further. Vines of Vastwood is sick in Standard, since it counters all the targeted removal and also pumps in a pinch.
Comment by Blind Fremen — October 1, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
Double post, but Putrid Leech also activates your opponent’s Bloodchief Ascensions.
Comment by Blind Fremen — October 1, 2009 @ 10:20 pm
I really pictured this little Baloth circling around trying to find the right spots…
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Great review, i agree on basically all of them.
(I would say Basilisk is a 3.0)
Comment by DakkonBL — October 1, 2009 @ 10:25 pm
Not saying that Terra Stomper is going to see play (because of Path to Exile of course), but Spectral Force saw play and it’s a big dumb animal that doesn’t do anything. Also, it says that it can’t be countered, but it might as well just say assemble target contraption, or the land continues to burn, because I don’t foresee too many spells getting coutnered in standard this season.
Comment by Jim Varney — October 1, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
“Hmm, all creatures and a spell that summons a creature. I guess that’s Green for ya. It gets a decent but not all that exciting haul, with a bunch of efficient creatures, a hard to use Planeswalker, and a 30 dollar bill.”
That actually made me laugh. Right on.
Got to love when the $30 mythic snake loses to the uncommon snake.
Maybe if the Lotus Cobra at least had deathtouch for flavor… naw.
Comment by DanO — October 1, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
LSV=PRO
love how you some up each card in these articles…very well what a truely awesome article should be
Comment by Jeremy — October 1, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
Vines of Vastwood is pretty nuts when you use it to, say, protect your Baneslayer from a Terminate. It’s like a green counterspell for the only spells you care about! Surprisingly versatile in practice, I think it deserved a three honestly.
Everything else I agree is spot on.
Comment by Graeme Hefner — October 2, 2009 @ 12:11 am
River Boa:
LSV Landwalk! (also regenerates)
Comment by Kenseiden — October 2, 2009 @ 12:29 am
I’d give the tiger a bit more value, because he can pay in a agrresive green deck and enter the battlefield in like turn 4 along with another creature.
Comment by Kenseiden — October 2, 2009 @ 12:41 am
very entertaining article!
you did a great job on that review and I agree with most of your evaluations.
I hope this limited format suits you better than M10 (”Did you draft that deck just for fun?”).
Comment by eidolon — October 2, 2009 @ 1:47 am
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Pingback by » Blog Archive » Articoli interessanti su Zendikar — October 2, 2009 @ 2:47 am
very entertaining article!
you did a great job on that review and I agree with most of your evaluations.
I hope this limited format suits you better than M10 (”Did you draft that deck just for fun?”).
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
Comment by eidolon — October 2, 2009 @ 4:10 am
“Also, it says that it can’t be countered, but it might as well just say assemble target contraption, or the land continues to burn, because I don’t foresee too many spells getting countered in standard this season.”
I lol’d. Well played, Sir.
As for Scute Mob, I don’t think it’s that terrible to have it in your opening hand. Sure, it doesn’t do much played on T1 but at least it doesn’t interfere with your curve. Also, if they kill it, you at least didn’t lose any tempo as their removal spell had to cost at least as much.
Comment by Frein — October 2, 2009 @ 4:33 am
What no joke about Greenweaver Druid? i liked him better the first time i saw him back in the Ice Age …
Comment by locustkiller — October 2, 2009 @ 4:33 am
“but don’t go crazy and take it over a removal spell or something.”
How often do you just pass $20 bills? I know I don’t pass them.
Comment by Cody — October 2, 2009 @ 7:30 am
I remeber playing constant mists in t1x, that was a fine fog!
Comment by sti — October 2, 2009 @ 8:04 am
Yes, snake gravy may be the best line from you since you wrecked all “that guy’s sh*t” in one of your video drafts.
I agree with the posters, Vines of Vastwood is pretty incredible. It can protect your creature, stop theirs from getting pumped or enchanted, or give your guy +4/+4 to beat face in combat. Green gets a counterspell of sorts.
Savage Silhouette gets boosted to 3.0 for Limited in G/U since it makes your flyers very scary. Scute mob gets blocked while the welkin tern bashes for 4!
Thanks for posting LSV!
Comment by Brendan — October 2, 2009 @ 8:34 am
I disagree with you on Relic Crush. There are so many quests and artifacts that in this set. If you’re playing green you want this main deck. Hell, I’d splash green for this card. It’s THAT good in my opinion.
Comment by aclaiborne — October 2, 2009 @ 9:27 am
I think you underrate Harrow’s constructed uses. It’s not REALLY a three-mana ramp spell; since the lands come into play untapped, it’s more of a 1-mana ramp spell that you can’t play until turn 3. It’s more Search for Tomorrow than Untamed Wilds.
Comment by MH — October 2, 2009 @ 9:57 am
this was a depressing read and i was expecting a lot more, most of the article read to me as ‘i only play green in limited so its not worth playing in constructed’, considering this was written by a pro im very dissapointed,by the lack of forethought and although i dont play green much, there has been a lot that i would consider to be playable cards and thats not just the mythic snake.
this had been the first article i have read on this site and i gotta say, i dont think il bother reading any more
Comment by Dave — October 2, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
Does anybody else think wizards is making the game to expensive with cards like Lotus Cobra at $30 a piece and box prices now hitting 120-140?
Comment by Travis — October 2, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
I think the one thing you forgot about Scyth Tiger was the fact that it resides in green. I have found him very playable in the right decks. For example a hyper aggressive GU deck I drafted last night had two of them and they were beatings early and nothing if not a solid spell late. They do a generally good job of getting 6-9 in early and having the ability to kill most critters later. Of coarse the most important thing to mention is the fact that while I played only 16 lands in that deck I had 6 land searchers/deck thinners which made the card relativly easy to cast without much of a drawback. I don’t think it’s insaine, but in a format that rewards you for attacking it’s a pretty decent card that should warent 1.5-2.5 dependant on what the rest of your draft looks like.
Comment by Eryk H — October 2, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
Moment’s Peace was the only playable green fog? Did you not play during Rath (Tempest) block, because I can recall two cards from that block that saw even more play than Moment’s Peace (Constant Mists and Spike Weaver).
Also you’ve only mentioned extended a handful of times in your reviews. Since most of the ‘constructed’ portion of your reviews have focused on standard, can we expect a stand-alone article that talks about zendikar’s impact on extended? I think it would be an interesting read.
Comment by wescoe — October 2, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
you’re a funny, funny guy
Comment by dowjonzechemical — October 2, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
Hey Luis. I’m qualified for Houston and was thinking about the scapeshift deck. This is what I came up with so far.
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
6 Mountains
3 Plains
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Tarmagoyf
2 Ajani Vengeant
4 Scapeshift
3 Silence
4 Magma Jet
3 Engineered Explosives
As you can see, the maindeck is missing a couple of slots.
And suggestions?
Comment by Murray Fisher — October 2, 2009 @ 2:33 pm
trace of abundance and the rotated out fertile grounds only cost 1 on turn 3 as well. doesn’t mean they were super playable…
Comment by psymunn — October 2, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
murray, i suggest you go to austin and not houston for the tournament
Comment by NL — October 2, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
Come on LSV, I expect you to know what the definition of “strictly worse” is!
Comment by Brady — October 2, 2009 @ 8:15 pm
Oran-Rief Recluse has really been a 3.5 for you? It feels a little overcosted at both mana costs - maybe not so much at the kicked cost but you aren’t guaranteed a target. Canopy Spider at 3 feels small.
Also, Grazing Gladeheart gives green game against the very fast aggro decks (i.e. the black ones) which is kinda where it needs the help.
Comment by Matthias — October 2, 2009 @ 9:02 pm
Zendikar Set Review - Green…
Your story has been summoned to the battlefield - Trackback from MTGBattlefield…
Trackback by MTGBattlefield — October 2, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
I also feel like your review didn’t really do green justice, but, at the same time, it added river boa, lotus cobra, and summoner’s trap to constructed. that’s about it. I think you should play more green in limited, grazing gladeheart is actually very, very good.
I would suggest the guy taking scapeshift to the wrong pro tour play valakut, the molten pinnacle. i wouldn’t want to put all my eggs in the ajani vengeant doing lethal damage basket. that’s probably why you have so many open slots. o.O
Comment by Josh — October 2, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Great review lsv! A couple discrepancies on my part:
I definitely disagree regarding Predatory Urge; all you need is a guy with 3 toughness to make a goblin artillery that doesn’t damage you. All you do is wait until they tap out and even if they have bounce/removal after that you still get card parity. The upside of having this stick is definitely worth the risk.
Heart Expedition is only playable in a few decks imo (3+ color or one with a lot of landfall or fatties). If you’re mana screwed it does nothing, and if you’re flooded it gives you more land, so you’d better hope you play this turn 2 *and* are in the sweet spot of lands:spells.
Comment by Jester123 — October 3, 2009 @ 10:15 am
“The only format where your opponent is consistently playing Artifacts maindeck is Vintage”
Wizards recently trademarked “scars of mirrodin” and “mirrodin pure” along with “rise of the eldrazi” and “new phyrexia”. If rise of the eldrazi is the 3rd set of zendikar (which would be logical), then it may be logical to assume that the next block will be a return to mirrodin will make the cage trap better…we’ll see though.
Comment by tk — October 3, 2009 @ 5:06 pm
Bah, I’m still waiting for something like Plow Under, Mwonvuli-Acid Moss or Primal Order (I have the right to dream, don’t I?)
Why so much fuzz about River Boa? We lost Vanquisher and the replacement is a card that was only good in the times of Invasion? I guess people still believe that competitive players put basics on their decks, because there’s no shocklands to cheat the land type this time.
Mire Boa was essentially the same creature, and it saw play nowhere. Two power for two mana barely makes the cut these days. Give us another 3 / 3 for two mana!!
The Vines of Vastwood are interesting. They won’t like playing the removal on your turn because that means they may be getting another four and if they do it on their turn, you only need one mana and they tap out. Sounds like a nice card, even if it is asking for a cheap creature with trample.
I don’t know which is more embarassing: the designer’s obsession to show that they are on our side giving us anti counter card after anti counter card or the fact that all those decks who pack them will inevitable lose against permission control because they seem to never have actually played a game against control. Even Summoning trap is underwhelming: at first time I misread and thought it allowed to put into play ALL creature cards revealed among the thirteen. As it is, it will be a simple 1 for 1 that will bring a creature that will receive a Sower of Temptation or Shackes. That if it doesn’t eat a Force or Will or Daze in Legacy.
Comment by javert — October 3, 2009 @ 6:15 pm
Like others, I disagree with you on Vines of Vastwood. It is absolutely sick. Not only do you not kill that creature you were planning to Hideous End, you take an additional 4.
I’ve see a couple Vampire Builds splashing green for it. That being said, I think it’s standard-worthy, and an early pick in limited.
Comment by John — October 4, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
i totally want that guys scapeshift deck… i feel a win coming for him in houston… in fact i see him taking first.
Comment by cascade101 — October 5, 2009 @ 12:49 am
Snake gravy? Come on!
Comment by Jack — October 5, 2009 @ 6:38 pm
Okay, you are seriously wacked in the head. Scythe Tiger is an amazing card. A 3/2 with Shroud for one Forest? There are plenty of ways to acquire new lands from both your library and your graveyard so the cost for this card is negligible. Sometimes I wonder how people with so little insight into this game can become such “experts” on it.
Comment by Ben — October 20, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
Uh, Scythe Tiger is beyond bad on pretty much every turn. Casting it before turn 6 is going to cripple you, and later in the game a 3/2 isn’t worth much, and the one casting cost isn’t any sort of advantage. What is the point of a 1-drop that you can’t cast t1-6, and that has a higher cost than a normal 5 drop even later in the game.
Comment by lsv — October 20, 2009 @ 4:11 pm
@Isv Spoken like a true amateur. This card is ideal to play turn 1. Sure, you lose a land, but Zendikar offers plenty of ways to get more lands out per turn, so this is made up for. Plus, you’re not just getting a 3/2, you’re getting a 3/2 with SHROUD. Kind of nice when your opponent’s kill/removal spells are useless while you’re hitting him/her for 3 damage each turn. And as far as the card being useless after turn 6? Beastmaster’s Ascension, Overrun, and Garruk Wildspeaker all give you nifty global pump effects that can turn that 3/2 into an 8/7 or a 7/6 with trample. Funny how a 3/2 with shroud can be such a pain later in the game, huh?
Comment by Ben — October 22, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
Every time someone has played turn 1 Scythe Tiger against me (bar one), I have laughed. I play my turn 1/2 2/2, we trade, he is down a land. One opponent even mana-screwed himself with it.
Of course, the one game (out of eight) *I* was mana-screwed, it was my opponent’s turn to laugh. But when are you not going to win against a mana-screwed opponent?
Comment by Moogymatch — November 3, 2009 @ 6:57 pm