Welcome to part 4: the artifacts and land cards. Be sure to catch part 1 (red), part 2 (green). and part 3 (black).
A quick recap: this series is for rogue/casual players going to regionals. If you aren't netdecking or spending a ton of money getting new cards, this is a look at useful cards you might already have that aren't getting a lot of notice in Standard at the moment.
On the flip side, if you are netdecking, this might be the kind of cards you'll see from a rogue deck. Or give you some sideboarding ideas.
Special lands and artifacts filled the role of changelings before changelings became cool. That is to say, they fill in gaps in deck concepts and help pull things together.
LAND
Academy Ruins (legendary)
Tap: Add 1 to your mana pool.
1U, Tap: Put target artifact card in your graveyard on top of your library.
You'll find I talk a lot about decks abusing cards. You don't want to play a fair deck at a major event. One boxer against another boxer is a fair fight. One boxer vs another boxer who is carrying a baseball bat and wearing brass knuckles instead of gloves isn't a fair fight.
Your deck needs to create a powerful creature, powerful effect, or advantgeous situation and ask your opponent, "Can you deal with that?" When the answer is "no" then you win the game. An abusive deck will find a way to ask that question over and over until it wins.
Which brings me to Academy Ruins.
Are you playing a deck with powerful or numerous artifacts that are likely to end up in the graveyard? Would putting that artifact back on top of the library and drawing ti again raise the question of "can you deal with that"? If so, Academy Ruins is what you are looking for.
The most obvious combo is with Bottle Gnomes. There'll be sligh/RDW opponents who can deal 20 points of damage. But a couple of bockers with 3 toughness and get up to 23 or 26 life? Its not so easy for those red decks to win.
Play Bottle Gnomes, block with it, sacrifice it, put it back on the library the draw, play, block, sac again. Some decks can't deal with a deck that can block then gain 3 points of life a turn.
No direct damage in your colors? Would recurring a Moonglove Extract every turn for the rest of the game win it for you?
Really need you artifact creatures to stay in play? Stuffy Doll? Need to recycle Serrated Arrows to take care of that threatening 1/1 Chameleon Colossus? Four Tormod’s Crypt not enough? Afraid you'll have your crucial artifact Thoughtsiezed before you have a chance to play it?
Arena
3, T Tap target creature you control and target creature of an opponent's choice he or she controls. Each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other.
Arena says its a land but since it doesn't produce mana, count it as a spell like you would some funky enchantment.
Nobody plays this card. Why? Its clunky. Its slow. Its mana-intensive. Its a complicated card and people don't like figuring out how to use complicated cards.
But you know what? It works.
Looking at what it does
1) You choose a creature and your opponent chooses a creature and both creatures become tapped. The card kind of gives the impression that you might have to pick an untapped creature rather than just any creature but that's not how the card works. If your opponent doesn't ask but automatically grabs an untapped creature, you are free to let him.
2) Your creatures damage to each other.
3) Protection effects apply. A Chameleon Colossus, which has protection from black, won't take damage from a Cinderbones because its black. Note the protection from black doesn't stop the Arena from tapping the Chameleon Colossus.
4) Wither and Deathtouch still work since they are based off of creature damage.
Looking at what it doesn't do
1) Arena doesn't care about first strike or double strike which are combat abilities. The Arena ability isn't combat or combat damage.
2) It doesn't remove creatures from combat. If one or both creatures are in combat when the Arena is activated, they'll still be in combat afterward.
3) There's no "putting damage on the stack and fast effects before damage resolves". The Arena ability goes onto the stack. When it resolves, the creatures take damage. If a creature is dead, its too late for regeneration effects. Any of those kind of effects have to be activated before the Arena ability resolves.
Again, if your opponent doesn't ask but tosses his Troll Ascetic into the Arena and let's the Arena ability resolve before trying to regenerate: its too late. The Troll is already dead and your opponent has two mana in his mana pool if he tapped the land.
4) Unlike combat damage being on the stack, Arena doesn't force the creatures to exchange damage if both creatures aren't still in play.
5) Arena doesn't care about summoning sickness. If the creature is in play, you can use it in the Arena.
Keep in mind that affects you are using anyway like a Giant Growth or a Loxodon Warhammer can get you double use from an Arena
If you are thinking about using it, as you play think about what an Arena would do for your deck if it were in play. Does your deck have chump blockers going to the graveyard? Think if putting it into the Arena after damage is on the stack as if that would gain you something. Playing with larger creatures than you opponent? Figure out if Arena let you pick off an extra creature a turn. Opponents playing big creatures but not attacking into your Stuffy Doll? Figure out if its worth the mana to throw your Stuffy Doll and one of his fatties into the Arena every turn. Have a Segir Vampire that you need to grow faster?
If you start thinking to yourself, "Dang that'd be sweet in my deck", give it a try. If you notice you never have any mana open or creatures in play, its not the card for you.
Don't build a deck that depends on Arena being in play. You can theorhetically get one with Scapeshift or Sylvan Scrying.
Dakmor Salvage
Dakmor Salvage comes into play tapped.
Tap: Add B to your mana pool.
Dredge 2
Do you need black mana and want to recur cards from the graveyard? Auntie's Snitch? Demigod of Revenge? Nether Traitor? Cards with the Cold Snap "recover" mechanic? Haakon, Stromgald Scourge? Makeshift Mannequin? Lord of the Undead? Gravedigger? Pit Keeper? Profane Command? Wort, Boggart Auntie? Dakmor Salvage is the only dredge card in Standard.
Between Smallpox, Undertaker, other shapeshifters, Stronghold Rats, Trespasser il-Vec, and Oona's Prowler it shouldn't be a problem to get Dakmor Salvage into the graveyard if that's what you are really wanting to happen.
I really like it in combination with Smallpox because of knowing I'll be able to dredge the land back if I need it.
Dakmor Salvage also to an extent protects you from land destruction. Not much use in destroying a land when it comes back easily.
Desert
Tap: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap: Desert deals 1 damage to target attacking creature. Play this ability only during the end of combat step.
I'll admit that Desert isn't a personal favorite of mine but if you deck is in need of protection against weenie rushes, Desert deals with them. One at a time. And after you or your blockers have taken damage.
But it does what it does very efficiently. It doesn't cost a card and it doesn't require extra mana to activate the ability.
Dryad Arbor (Forest Dryad)
(Dryad Arbor isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has "Tap: Add G to your mana pool.")
Dryad Arbor is green.
I've just always wanted to put this on a list of good cards. Unfortunately, it just doesn't belong there.
It does have the distinction of being the only man-land that both doesn't cost mana to activate and comes into play untapped. With Crucible of Worlds, you've got a chump blocker that needs to be dealt with any turn you want it. With Thousand-Year Elixir, you can use its mana ability when it comes into play. With Loxodon Warhammer, you get to hear your opponent say, "I'm getting slapped around by Dryad Arbor?"
Forbidding Watchtower
Forbidding Watchtower comes into play tapped.
T Add W to your mana pool.
1W: Forbidding Watchtower becomes a 1/5 white Soldier creature until end of turn. It's still a land.
Playing white mana but can't get any of the better man-lands into your deck? Consider Forbidding Watchtower because man-lands are good Wrath insurance.
If you want to get wacky with your Doran deck, a Forbidding Watchtower that attacks for 5 damage could be amusing.
Ghitu Encampment
Ghitu Encampment comes into play tapped.Tap: Add R to your mana pool.
1R: Ghitu Encampment becomes a 2/1 red Warrior creature with first strike until end of turn. It’s still a land.
If you activate it only on your turn, it'll never be hit by sorcery-speed removal. No Shriekmaw, Damnation, Wrath, etc.
Ghitu Encampment with its small body and first strike might not be as sexy as a Treetop Village with its trample, but it can still do neat things like blocking a Troll Ascetic all day long.
Leechridden Swamp (Swamp)
(Tap: Add B to your mana pool.)
Leechridden Swamp comes into play tapped.
B, Tap: Each opponent loses 1 life. Play this ability only if you control two or more black permanents.
If your deck wouldn't be slowed down too much by a couple of land coming into play tapped and you tend to have a couple of mana unused at the end of your opponent's turn, give it a shot. It shouldn't beat out any of the truly superior non-basics like color-fixers and the better man-lands.
But if you deck if loaded with basic Swamps, having a couple of Leechridden Swamp might be what you need.
Mistveil Plains
(Tap: Add W to your mana pool.)
Mistveil Plains comes into play tapped.
W, Tap: Put target card in your graveyard on the bottom of your library. Play this ability only if you control two or more white permanents.
This is another land that I wouldn't put in above strickly better non-basics. But if you are overloaded with basic Plains, it might be a consideration.
If you have ways of shuffling your library, putting the better cards from your graveyard back into the deck is very useful.
If you don't have ways of shuffling your deck, it could still be occassionally useful in a defensive role. It could keep an opponent's Tarmogoyf from being any bigger than it has to be. Or get creatures out of you graveyard so they can't be animated and used against you. Keep you from being decked.
Its not a wonderful card but I could see playing one if you already have plenty of Plains.
Mosswort Bridge
Hideaway (This land comes into play tapped. When it does, look at the top four cards of your library, remove one from the game face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library.)
Tap: Add G to your mana pool.
G, Tap: You may play the removed card without paying its mana cost if creatures you control have total power 10 or greater.
Getting ten power isn't very difficult for many green decks. And as for cards to put under Mosswort Bridge, I have a special fondness for Overrun.
Even after a Wrath now that Giantbaiting has been printed, its not very difficult to get back up to 10 power of creatures on the board.
Rustic Clachan
As Rustic Clachan comes into play, you may reveal a Kithkin card from your hand. If you don't, Rustic Clachan comes into play tapped.
Tap: Add W to your mana pool.Reinforce 1 - 1W
If you are playing a creature deck with white mana, its not a bad combat trick. And its an easy land to get into the graveyard for a Tarmogoyf.
But if you are playing a super-aggressive non-Kithkin white weenie, you probably can't afford a land that comes into play tapped.
Swarmyard
T Add 1 to your mana pool.
T Regenerate target Insect, Rat, Spider, or Squirrel.
There's not a lot of relevant insect, rat, spider, or squirrels: Nantuko Husk, Ravenous Rats, Relentless Rats, and Stronghold Rats.
But note that all the changelings are squirrely.
Tolaria West
Tolaria West comes into play tapped.
T Add U to your mana pool.
Transmute 1UU
It tutors for any land, basic or non-basic. Or for any zero casting cost card: Ancestral Vision, Claws of Gix, Fountain of Youth, Herbal Poultice, Hypergenesis, Intervention Pact, Living End, Lotus Bloom, Mishra's Bauble, Ornithopter, Pact of Negation, Pact of the Titan, Restore Balance, Slaughter Pact, Spellbook, Summoner's Pact, Tormod's Crypt, Wheel of Fate.
Getting a Slaughter Pact, Pact of Negation, Mutavault, etc. at a critical moment could be the key to victory.
Vesuva
As Vesuva comes into play, you may choose a land in play. If you do, Vesuva comes into play tapped as a copy of the chosen land.
Wish you had more man-lands? Now you do. Its tough to play a set of four since it needs someone's land in play before it does anything. And you don't want to get stuck mulliganing hands because Vesuva is your only land.
So playing it is a small gamble but having access up to a possible 8 Treetop Villages, for example, might sometimes be worth it.
Windbrisk Heights
Hideaway (This land comes into play tapped. When it does, look at the top four cards of your library, remove one from the game face down, then put the rest on the bottom of your library.)
Tap: Add W to your mana pool.
W, Tap: You may play the removed card without paying its mana cost if you attacked with three or more creatures this turn.
Getting three or more attacking creatures isn't tough for some decks so playing Windbrisk Heights is like drawing and playing an extra card.
The Artifacts
Bottle Gnomes
1/3 Sacrifice Bottle Gnomes: You gain 3 life.
If you deck has trouble beating sligh and Red Deck Wins and Kitchen Finks isn't in your colors, Bottle Gnomes is still a great sideboard card.
Crucible of Worlds
You may play land cards from your graveyard.
With so many man-lands in the format, you'd think that Crucible of Worlds would see more play. But it hasn't so far.
Deathrender
Equipped creature gets +2/+2.
Whenever equipped creature is put into a graveyard from play, you may put a creature card from your hand into play and attach Deathrender to it.
Equip 2
I expected someone to win big with this fairly quickly but Deathrender hasn't seen much play. You equip it to any creature and when it dies, you play a creature for free? Turn a Mogg Fanatic into a Bogardan Hellkite? A Cursecatcher into a Deep-Sea Kraken? Burrenton Forge-Tender into a Windbrisk Raptor?
Just the threat of dropping something ridiculous into play if the equipped creature is killed will put a crimp in your opponent's gameplan. It looks like a nice backup plan for any reanimator deck.
Door of Destinies
As Door of Destinies comes into play, choose a creature type.Whenever you play a spell of that type, put a charge counter on Door of Destinies.Creatures you control of that type get +1/+1 for each charge counter on Door of Destinies.
Coat of Arms is unplayable due to the tribe intensity in Standard: you have as much of a chance of helping your opponent as yourself. Door of Destinies is a decent replacement.
Dolmen Gate
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control.
I'm not sure whether this deserves a mention or not. If I assume its in play, then it always looks fabulous. If I put 2-3 in a deck, I don't draw it. If I put 4 in a deck, I draw all four and no creatures.
On paper, it seems like this would be great in something like a kithkin deck. In reality???
Epochrasite
1/1 Epochrasite comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it if you didn't play it from your hand.
When Epochrasite is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game with three time counters on it and it gains suspend.
It went from "its played everywhere" to "whatever happened to it?" Its still good against Wrath/Damnation decks though not so much against elves and faeries.
Foriysian Totem
T Add R to your mana pool.
4R: Foriysian Totem becomes a 4/4 red Giant artifact creature with trample until end of turn.
As long as Foriysian Totem is a creature, it can block an additional creature.
Red doesn't get many trample effects and expect trample to be a relevant ability. It doesn't fit into a quick deck deck but if you've got a red deck that grinds out a long game, its worth a look.
Grim Poppet
4/4 Grim Poppet comes into play with three -1/-1 counters on it.
Remove a -1/-1 counter from Grim Poppet: Put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature.
At seven casting cost, its not cheap. But its a Serrated Arrows that can use up all its counters in one turn plus leave a decent body behind. If you expect to have mana and to need help with creature-control....
Icy Manipulator
1, Tap: Tap target artifact, creature, or land.
Old School. Opponent have a creature you can't or don't want to deal with? Tap it. Want to deny your opponent of his countering mana? Tap one island at the end of his turn and his other island at the beginning of yours then cast whatever you want without worry. Want a Howling Mine but don't want your opponent to get the benefit? Tap it after your every draw step.
Very flexible.
Loxodon Warhammer
Equipped creature gets +3/+0 and has lifelink and trample.
Equip 3
I'm sure every reader is wondering by now "why the hell is this guy so in love with Loxodon Warhammer?"
Its the best card in Standard at the moment. Three extra power his huge. Trample is a great creature ability at the moment because elf and faerie decks are tossing out tons of chump blockers. And with the best decks in the format playing creatures, lifelink which triggers off of creature damage is huge.
If you are playing a non-netdeck that's planning on winning through creature damage and you aren't playing at least three Loxodon Warhammer maindeck, your deck is probably built wrong. Its that powerful.
Pithing Needle
As Pithing Needle comes into play, name a card. Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can’t be played unless they’re mana abilities.
New school flexibility. Pithing Needle is another great card that's dropped out of sight.
What cards does it hose? Any man-land, Chameleon Colossus, Imperious Perfect, Jagged-Scar Archers, keeps equip cost from being paid, Story Circle, Greater Gargadon, planeswalkers, Grandeur ability, Vexing Shusher, paying regeneration costs, etc.
Serrated Arrows
Serrated Arrows comes into play with three arrowhead counters on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no arrowhead counters on Serrated Arrows, sacrifice it.
Tap, Remove an arrowhead counter from Serrated Arrows: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
This is slow creature kill, or as we know it in modern terms, wither. And remember Serrated Arrows counters hoses persist creatures.
Note that Serrated Arrows stays in play after the last counter is removed. Its not much use but its still in play.
Thousand-Year Elixir
You may play the activated abilities of creatures you control as though those creatures had haste.
1, Tap: Untap target creature.
Is you deck full of creatures with activated abilities you'd like to use as soon as they come in play and twice per turn?
Mana elves, Prodigal Sorceror, Avatar of Woe, Balduvian Frostwalker, rebel searchers, Bloodshot Trainee, Cenn's Tactician, spellshapers, Doomed Necromancer, etc.
Weatherseed Totem
Tap: Add G to your mana pool.
2GGG: Weatherseed Totem becomes a 5/3 green Treefolk artifact creature with trample until end of turn.
When Weatherseed Totem is put into a graveyard from play, if it was a creature, return this card to its owner's hand.
When its a creature, its extremely difficult to deal with. If your green deck doesn't have man-land or other cards that'll live through a Wrath, it might be worth trying a couple of these out.
Whispersilk Cloak
Equipped creature is unblockable and has shroud.
Equip 2
So what if you don't have a Loxodon Warhammer or other means to trample over the opposition? Whispersilk Coak isn't as nifty as many cards but getting through unblocked has possibilities.
That's the look at land and artifacts. Comments are very welcome.
As I mentioned in previous article in the series, I'm also doing deck clinics. So if you want me to write and take a look at your non-netdeck for regionals, pm me or post it in the comments if that's easier. If your deck isn't for regionals, note that along with anything special like whether its for a duel or multiplayer, whether you are on a budget, any cards you already own that you think maybe should be in the deck, etc.
My first request was to look at a reader's FNM zombie deck. I'm planning on getting to that when I wrap up this regionals series but his question did inspire today's bonus section
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Are there any cards beyond the obvious that would let mono-black deal with Chameleon Colossus?
Why, yes, there are. But its not a walk in the park.
Damnation (aka The Obvious) - effective but rough if you were planning on your creatures to win the game.
Thoughtseize (aka The Obvious Part II: Kicking Butt and Taking Names) - effective sometimes but can't stop him from topdecking his first Colossus after the Thoughtseize.
Icy Manipulator - tap Colossus for 1 mana
Stuffy Doll - let your opponent kill himself by attacking. Watch out for Nameless Inversion.
Dread - Colossus hits you once. Just once. Dread's ability doesn't target. It'll destroy a creature that deals damage to you, even if it has protection from black.
Platinum Angel - if he can't kill you...
Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII - create blocker for 3 mana
The Hive - create blocker for 5 mana
Beacon of Unrest - reanimate a blocker from your opponent's graveyard. The drawback is he might not have anything large enough to kill the colossus so it might just buy you one turn. Or you might get lucky and he's got a dead 3/3 wither creature for you to borrow.
Pithing Needle - not a real solution but a 4/4 isn't as scary as an 8/8 or 16/16
Several Epochrasite and hope they unsuspend often enough to block.
Two or more Moonglove Extract
Gnarled Effigy, Grim Poppet, Serrated Arrows - any of these will whittle a Colossus down. A 3/3 Colossus isn't as scary as a 4/4. A 2/2 is threatening but it'll tie up you opponent's mana to make it a threat. A 1/1 that doubles its power/toughness for four mana is barely cute. The problem is surviving the whittling down process.
Splash a color - a few lands could support a Disintegrate.
Grave Peril, Smallpox, Diabolic Edict - not very feasible since your opponent is likely to have two or more creatures in play.
Tags: Magic Standard Regionals Review Casual Clinic Tournament
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