Den Protector and Deathmist Raptor are the dynamic duo driving many Abzan decks, from Abzan Megamorph to Abzan Control… To Abzan Dragons?!?

Den Protector

Before we get into all of this Den Protector / Abzan goodness… A bit of a team announcement:

Patrick still “has Pantheon blood” running through his veins, but our intrepid podcasting duo is super excited to join Team Ultra PRO. In case you don’t know about this team, it is absolutely lousy with Hall of Famer / Pro Tour Champion combos like Bob Maher, Paul Rietzl, and Ben Stark (and now Patrick)… As well as regular-old Pro Tour Champions like Craig Wescoe and up-and-comers like Justin Cohen and Adrian Sullivan.

Read more about Team Ultra PRO and meet the full team lineup here.

Okay… Deck lists:

Makihito Mihara and Yuuya Watanabe played a Golgari Dragon Megamorph deck reminiscent of Mike’s Mono-Blue Five-color Dragons deck at Grand Prix Shanghai. Both finished in the Top 16 in Shanghai.

Dragon Megamorph

1 Dragonlord Atarka
2 Dragonlord Dromoka
3 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Dragonlord Silumgar

3 Courser of Kruphix
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Den Protector
4 Satyr Wayfinder
4 Sylvan Caryatid

2 Foul-Tongue Invocation
2 Hero’s Downfall
1 Murderous Cut
3 Thoughtseize

2 Forest
4 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
3 Llanowar Wastes
4 Opulent Palace
1 Plains
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Temple of Deceit
4 Temple of Malady
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Windswept Heath

sideboard:
2 Bile Blight
1 Crux of Fate
2 Drown in Sorrow
1 Duress
2 Foul-Tongue Invocation
1 Self-Inflicted Wound
2 Ultimate Price
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
1 Utter End
1 Courser of Kruphix

Note the Dragon suite: All very similar to Mike’s list, essentially grafting [very close to] his Dragon selection onto an Abzan Megamorph shell.

… Did we say “Abzan”?

This deck cuts the darling Siege Rhino for the Dragons, stripping down to essentially just black and green (Golgari) in order to account for Haven of the Spirit Dragon.

While their deck did not play Crucible of the Spirit Dragon, the combination of Satyr Wayfinder and Haven of the Spirit Dragon simulate playing more Dragon lands.

Combining Satyr Wayfinder and Haven of the Spirit Drago makes up for the missing Crucible of the Spirit Dragon.

Abzan Control

Sixty-one cards?

Patrick Chapin is the patron saint of cutting to sixty cards… But in this case he makes a compelling case for Yuuki Ichikawa’s sixty-one.

TCGPlayer Open 5K

The TCGPlayer Open 5K in Milwaukee, WI had its share of sweet decks, too.

Michael and Patrick discuss Taylor Atchison’s Bant Midrange and Caleb Durward’s Four-color Midrange deck.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Caleb got there.

Four-color Midrange by Caleb Durward

3 Bile Blight
1 Crux of Fate
3 Hero’s Downfall
4 Thoughtseize
1 Ultimate Price

3 Abzan Charm
3 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Fleecemane Lion
4 Siege Rhino
1 Sultai Charm

4 Courser of Kruphix
3 Den Protector

2 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion

2 Forest
1 Llanowar Wastes
2 Mana Confluence
4 Opulent Palace
2 Plains
4 Sandsteppe Citadel
1 Temple of Deceit
4 Temple of Silence
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Windswept Heath
2 Yavimaya Coast

sideboard:
3 Drown in Sorrow
1 Duress
3 Self-Inflicted Wound
3 Disdainful Stroke
1 Negate
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
3 Arashin Cleric

Caleb got Den Protector, Dragonlord Ojutai, Siege Rhino, and Elspeth, Sun’s Champion all in the same deck. Find out what Patrick and Michael love, hate, and lovehate about this sweet new deck.

All this and more in “Dynamic Den Protector”!

Find out why main-deck Self-Inflicted Wound is beating up the current Standard!

Learn how you can cut Bile Blight while overwhelming Mono-Red with Abzan!

How do you use Boon Satyr to kill your opponent’s guys and then attack with it right away?

What is the card that “does what Utter End does but cheaper” in Caleb’s out-there deck list?

Give us a listen and find out in “Dynamic Den Protector”:

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