Reason: It has just been so warping in Standard (and other formats) essentially from the moment it appeared.
… But with Omnath join Uro?
We think so.
Among other reasons, banning Uro does very little to curb the dominance Omnath has already shown in Standard. Few decks play a full load of Cultivates and Beanstalk Giants. If all you did was cut Uro, making room for other three mana ramp cards might arguably make them more consistent at producing Omnath!
Uro might get an extra land into play, but it’s not great at fixing colors.
The Kitchen Sink
While Omnath is dominating a lot of Magic: The Gathering conversations right now, we did have a little time to go over how badly Mike missed on Sea Gate Restoration, some Pioneer talk, the newest Craterhoof Behemoth implementation, and even the hot new Modern tech!
Modal Double-Faced Topic #1: The 2020 Mythic Invitational!
Part One is a quick-ish review of the 2020 Mythic Invitational / Top 8 decks.
No doubt this tournament was stacked with DIs and absolute masters.
Spoiler! Our favorite deck from a Historic Top 8 that was largely Standard decks with one or two overpowered additions:
Mono-Black Gift played by Matt Nass
Part Two is a longer explorations of… You guessed it! Some more standouts from the still-emerging Zendikar Rising. Cards like…
The Two Sides of Valakut Exploration
Valakut Exploration can be played several different ways
Valakut Exploration as an Outpost Siege – In some ways, this card is a faster source of incremental card advantage. A little Outpost Siege, a wee bit Experimental Frenzy or one of the many card-drawing editions of Chandra… Valakut Exploration comes down a turn earlier and can give you some extra card oomph.
Valakut Exploration in Gruul Ramp – How about playing this card with Radha, Heart of Keld or Dyrad of Ilsyan Grove? The ability to draw extra cards and play extra lands — gaining extra advantages from either side — may make this three mana enchantment a main-deck option.
How to Think About Kazandu Mammoth
What a Gnarled Mass!
Kazandu Mammoth is arguably… Just a little bit better than our preview card, Murasa Brute. Sure, it’s not a Warrior, but this Elephant has options before you play it, and extra punching power after.
Is Kazandu Mammoth a kind of Woolly Thoctar with cycling?
Patrick thinks of this card, somewhat as one with Forestcycling 1? You can certainly “pay” G [by putting Kazandu Valley into play tapped] to “get” a “Forest”.
Michael likes it on the battlefield (unsurprising). Sometimes it dies to any old deal three; others it hits for nine.
Legitimately Exciting is… Swarm Shambler!
Swarm Shamber is great on turn one… But can go long
While this card is probably not good enough for your Gruul Ramp deck… It’s more than good enough for your Gruul beatdown deck, your Selesnya beatdown deck, or as a mirror-breaker for Mono-Green.
The synergies with Hardened Scales in larger formats are obvious. It’s going to be great with any kind of a Winding Constrictor; Standard just happens to have one, and a persistent source of +1/+1 counters to boot.
Not quite a Scavenging Ooze, maybe; but what can you really ask for from your one-drop?
What if Murasa Sproutling Were Actually Good?
… And here’s ANOTHER nice 3/3 for three
Using a Murasa Sproutling to pick up another Murasa Sproutling is kind of a chain in and of itself.
The question is if Standard will be a place where 3/3 creatures for three are good enough; or certainly 3/3 creatures for five (no matter what advantages they generate).
There are certainly kicker-matters things that we want to try. Roost of Drakes is up there. Tajuru Paragon even more. Though Patrick really has to explain Sea Gate Stormcaller to his co-host.
This plus Into the Roil now? If you’ve got nine mana to burn, the other player is in trouble!
Just imagine all that were going to be good enough!
Is Maddening Cacophony from Zendikar Rising even good? How about great?
Maddening Cacophony
Maddening Cacophony is definitely not Mike’s favorite blue card from Zendikar Rising.
But is it good? Great? Archetype defining even?
Things to note:
Maddening Cacophony doesn’t target. Good in group games, sure; but it can also anchor a Mill deck against an opponent with Leyline of Sanctity on the battlefield.
Eight cards for two mana isn’t that bad.
You can Mill out an opponent using only Maddening Cacophonies. The card rounds up; so it can take out the last card.
While Mike isn’t excited by this one, Patrick points out that there might be a critical mass of Mill in Modern that is too fast for interaction. This card can be helpful, with or without being kicked.
How interested are you in Ondu Inversion from Zendikar Rising?
Front side
Back side
On the one hand… Mike doesn’t want to play either side.
On the other hand… He could see this being a four-of in Standard.
Macro / interesting discussion: Will modal double-faced cards change how mana bases have been built for the past twenty-plus years?
Is Nighthawk Scavenger the best card in Zendikar Rising?
Nighthawk Scavenger
Nighthawk Scavenger is only smaller than Vampire Nighthawk if they have nothing in their graveyard at all.
Sometimes people put cards in their graveyards for you (e.g. Fabled Passage).
But if you actually try? A little hand destruction and creature removal? Nighthawk Scavenger can easily jump to 3-5 power… The true, evasive, racing love child of Vampire Nighthawk and Tarmogoyf.
Prediction: This will get played even in Legacy! Standard and Pioneer for sure.
Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats is just Questing Beast
Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats
I mean… Look at it!
Listen to our first drive bty the full Zendikar spoiler now!
Thanks to Wizards for letting us preview Murasa Brute!
Murasa Brute – More Than Meets the Immediate Eye
Is Murasa Brute “just” a 3/3 vanilla for three mana? With no rules text?
Patrick argues that that doesn’t just cover what’s really going on with this card… There is actually some hidden rules text!
First off, Murasa Brute is a little bit better than onetime tournament Role Player Gnarled Mass (a card Mike was once famous for advocating). But unlike Gnarled Mass at 1GG… Murasa Brute is a little less restrictive to cast.
But besides that, it’s also a Troll Warrior.
With Zendikar Rising, being a Warrior can help you out in building your Party. So you might just have a little more incentive to consider a creature like this one.
Now that said…
Tajuru Paragon can Help You Fill Your Party
Tajuru Paragon is also a Warrior (as well as a Cleric, Rogue, Wizard… and Elf)
Tajuru Paragon is a three power creature for only two mana. A 3/2 for two (with a lot of potential types), this card has a heck of a fail state.
It can help get your beat on early… While filling any slot in your Party. In addition, a late game Paragon can dig up other Clerics, Rogues, Warriors… Or Wizards.
What about nabbing a Fae of Wishes or Gadwick, the Wizened?
Snowballing card advantage is quite a possibility!
Maybe he’s friends with Red Decks; enabling Wizard’s Lightning or buddying up with a Rogue like Robber of the Rich.
