Heir of the Wild returns as a two drop that can hit hard, and punch above weight.

Red gives Abzan some amazing tools, like Crackling Doom (arguably the strongest card in Mardu colors), Kolaghan’s Command, or Radiant Flames out of the sideboard. Matt Carlson won the most recent Star City Games Standard Open with an Abzan deck touching for many strategic red cards.

Abzan Red by Matt Carlson

1 Murderous Cut

3 Abzan Charm
4 Anafenza, the Foremost
2 Crackling Doom
2 Dromoka’s Command
1 Kolaghan, the Storm’s Fury
1 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Siege Rhino
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor

2 Den Protector
4 Heir of the Wilds
4 Warden of the First Tree

3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Secure the Wastes
2 Wingmate Roc

2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Canopy Vista
1 Cinder Glade
3 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Shambling Vent
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
2 Swamp
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard
1 Duress
2 Infinite Obliteration
1 Virulent Plague
1 Dromoka’s Command
2 Den Protector
2 Dragonmaster Outcast
2 Radiant Flames
2 Hallowed Moonlight
2 Silkwrap

Matt won with four copies of Heir of the Wilds… and only two copies of Den Protector (main).

The format has gotten to a point where Heir of the Wilds is a more appropriate two drop than, say, Hangarback Walker. Hangarback Walker is a great card — don’t get us wrong — but the current demands of the format can ask to hit harder than a 1/1 card advantage engine for two mana… And Heir of the Wilds is great in particular because it can trade off so effectively against opposing people’s Siege Rhinos (or other key monsters) in combat.

Another two drop that deserves consideration in green aggressive decks is Snapping Gnarlid:

We spoiled Snapping Gnarlid prior to Battle for Zendikar, and generally liked it. However most of our discussion has been about Snapping Gnarlid in landfall linear aggro decks. In his “Temur Black” deck, Josh McClain chose Snapping Gnarlid as his two drop, taking advantage of some thirteen fetchlands.

Temur Black by Josh McClain

3 Murderous Cut
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

3 Stubborn Denial

4 Savage Knuckleblade

4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Snapping Gnarlid
4 Woodland Wanderer

2 Crater’s Claws
3 Draconic Roar
1 Fiery Impulse
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Thunderbreak Regent

4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
1 Shivan Reef
1 Swamp
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Cinder Glade
2 Frontier Bivouac
2 Lumbering Falls
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Yavimaya Coast

Sideboard
2 Duress
1 Self-Inflicted Wound
1 Virulent Plague
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dispel
1 Exert Influence
1 Stubborn Denial
2 Fiery Impulse
2 Radiant Flames
2 Roast

It is a little ironic, we think, that the actual Temur Ferocious deck goes with Snapping Gnarlid as the Abzan deck adpots Heir of the Wilds.

In addition to Standard chats about green two drops, Patrick and Michael peruse the recent Modern results and talk a little about the math and matchups of that format.

Listen to “Heir of the Wilds and Snapping Gnarlid at the Two” now:

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