Green's Comeback

Zendikar: Where the bears are Eldrazi, and they can pump to become 3/4's.

Battle for Zendikar, as a draft format, was known for one nefarious fact: Green was an unplayable color. Good rares, like Oran-Reif Hydra, got passed often, and were not happy first picks. It was said that Unnatural Aggression was the worst of the green "fight" cards, and that even the green Eldrazi were expensive and not very impactful. Over the course of the format, that estimation did not change very heavily, and one of the questions for Oath of the Gatewatch was, simply, "Will Green Make a Comeback?"

Now we find that, indeed, it has. Several green cards have come down that have shifted the landscape back towards relative balance. While we still await the official statistics from Magic Online, we can see the effects of Green's resurgence.

Green has gone from having next to no removal to having a very effective removal spell in Nissa's Judgement. Using the support ability and dealing 5-9 damage to a creature can end up being a 2-for-1 in your favor. This isn't a "fight" card, its a "gang attack" card. Even Unnatural Aggression itself, previously unplayable, can receive new consideration in a deck with support abilities.

White has great removal and also has support cards, making White and Green a natural match in this format. With this pairing, a deck with green can have access to some of the best removal available, such as Isolation Zone and Stasis Snare, as well as Gideon's Reproach come pack three. This association inherently raises the value of Green in general, and, as it happens, Green/White IS one of the top tier draft archetypes, second only to Black/White (which often has two or three drafters at the table). Green also pairs well with Black and Red, where the other good removal is.

The mascot of the Green Machine this time around is Saddleback Lagac, the supporting four-drop that makes your smaller creatures into medium sized creatures. A "Lagac Attack" forces your opponent to use removal early, make less fortunate trades, or take damage you otherwise would not have been able to squeeze through.

Having access to these cards in the first couple packs means the big green bombs you always seem to open in pack three, such as Undergrowth Champion or Greenwarden of Murasa, they will find a much happier home and be allowed to earn the bomb status they were designed for.

Suffice to say, Green is no longer the least desirable drafting color. It presents power and punch, just like Green should.

Instant Deck Tech: Inverter Mayhem!

Here we have a fun Standard deck that your opponents will never see coming!

Inverter of Truth becomes Inverter of Mayhem with this deck! Inverter of Truth exiles your whole library and gives you a 6/6 body in the air, leaving you with cards from your graveyard, flipped over and turned into your library. Don't be afraid to play this close to the chest. Try this inexpensive deck out to really mess with the heads of your opponents!

You'll spend turn two and three playing Corpse Churn and Gather The Pack, filling your graveyard with cards, so that once you play Inverter of Truth on turn four, you will have 5-8 turns to bash with Inverter of Truth, which should only take 3 or 4 turns to finish your opponent off.

Blinding Drones and Vampire Envoys will keep your opponent at bay and draw removal while Baloth Pup adds the additional power you will need to steal the win before the inverted hourglass runs out.

Opponent have a two-drop flyer?  No problem!  Attach a Chitinous Cloak to Inverter of Truth and smash for 8 in the air! 

We run Prophet of Distortion to make sure you are never far away from a Gather The Pack, which will hopefully help you find Inverter of Truth (and if it doesn't, that's just more cards in your graveyard!)

This deck runs three copies of Corrupted Crossroads, as a great fix-all, as well as two of Yavimaya Coast and two Hissing Quagmires (substitute Llanowar Wastes at will).

Another Twist!

WotC has had fun announcing this summer's supplemental Conspiracy set.

First, we thought it was The Reign of Brago.  Then, a day later, photos were released showing the spirit king being murdered via a stabbing of the neck. The set was then announced as The Empty Throne.

Now, it appears the throne has been taken up -- there's even a 221st card again. There's still hope for each player to attain the throne, though. With that idea in mind, Wizards of the Coast announced...

Wizards says there's no joke this time, and although we might have to wait until August to find out who exactly is sitting on the throne, we can be certain the set will present those who love multiplayer formats with no end of intrigue, mayhem, and general delight. The set is designed for eight-player drafts followed by free-for-all games of three to five players each. Each draft will be different, and new Conspiracy cards will make sure each player must work with unique tactics to take the crown. 

Check out the official announcements HERE, and stay tuned for spoilers!