The skill, and I use that term in the most respectful sense, of getting together the right mix of creatures and spells and most importantly the mana base was always a challenge I undertook with relish. Even before I had ever heard of things like multilands, fetchlands, painlands or even mana bases. Various sets along the way have made this easier and more attainable, even for the casual magii amongst us.
The tribes have always been a theme prominent amongst casual decks. I doubt very much whether there is a Magic player out there who has not built a Goblin deck! Elves, Giants, Merfolk, Beasts, Zombies and Soldiers have been popular tribally themed decks amongst not only my (now defunct) playgroup, but amongst the Magic playing community at large. Tribal decks have even been known to win serious Magic tournaments.
While attending the Shadowmoor pre-release one of my good friends could not wait to show me the awesome card he had obtained in his sealed pool ... the Reaper King! A five color Scarecrow creature with one of the most interesting casting costs ever seen ... and he is an artifact. The possibilities of a themed deck started to crystalize once I actually saw the whole spoiler and the wealth of these nasty bird-scaring beasties waiting for a home.
The flavor text for the Reaper King is also some of the most flavorful ever printed. "It's harvest time." That just says it all.
I was in the lucky, and I believe enviable, position of being probably the only local player who had the dream of building a Scarecrow deck, and as such found it incredibly easy to trade for what I needed. The assembling of the contents of the deck below was remarkably easy. I even lucked out and got the third of the Reaper King's in a booster I recieved for a birthday present. I still to this day cannot remember what any of the other cards in the booster were.
Without further ado, let me present to you the insanity which is my Scarecrow deck a.k.a. "Scary Scarecrows"!
| # | Card name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Watchwing Scarecrow | This 2/4 scarecrow enters the battlefield for 4, it has vigilance as long as you control a white creature and flying as long as you control a blue creature. |
| 1 | Blazethorn Scarecrow | This 3/3 scarecrow enters the battlefield for 5, it has haste as long as you control a red creature and wither as long as you control a green creature. |
| 1 | Thornwatch Scarecrow | This 4/4 scarecrow enters the battlefield for 6, it has wither as long as you control a green creature and vigilance as long as you control a white creature. |
| 3 | Tatterkite | Here we have a 2/1 flying scarecrow, as if the birds weren't scared enough, which enters the battlefield for only 3. As an added bonus it cannot have counters placed on it. Great for blocking creatures with wither. And it flies! |
| 3 | Lockjaw Snapper | This rabid scarecrow is a 2/2 meanie with wither. When he is put into your graveyard from the battlefield you get to put a -1/-1 counter on each creature with a -1/-1 counter on it. Double whammy delights. |
| 4 | Scuttlemutt | And now for the epitome of a ulititarian scarecrow, a 2/2 scarecrow which enters the battlefield for the measly cost of 3. Measly because he can either be tapped to add 1 to your mana pool, or he can be tapped to turn target creature into the color or colors of your choice until end of turn. Some of his brethren will, and do, benefit greatly from the second of his abilities. |
| 4 | Scrapbasket | A 3/2 common scarecrow which enters the battlefield for only 3. By spending 1 he becomes all colors until end of turn. We should just call him WUBuRG! |
| 3 | Reaper King | The king of the scarecrows, a humungous 6/6 5-colored artifact nemesis, who destroys a target permanent whenever another scarecrow enters the battlefield. I am too scared to even attempt to type out his casting cost ... but believe me ... it is worth it!!! |
| 3 | Fabricate | for U2 you get to search your library for an artifact and put it into your hand. You'll never guess who the primary target for this spell is? |
| 3 | Harrow | Mana fetch excellence comes in the form of Harrow. For a cost of 2G, and an additional cost of sac'ing a land, you get to search your library for two basic land cards and put them onto the battlefield. Untapped! You also get to shuffle your library. |
| 3 | For R/B you get to put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Wither in a jar!!! | |
| 2 | Puncture Bolt | Puncture Bolt deals 1 damage to target creature AND then puts a -1/-1 counter on that creature. Fiery deflation indeed for only 1R. |
| 2 | Blight Sickle | Another piece of armement for the scarecrow troops to wield. This beauty gives them +1/+0 and wither ... goes nicely with scarecrow theme I think. |
| 2 | Wanderer's Twig | A nifty little common mana fixer, costs 1 to cast, and then 1 to tap and sac it to search your library for a basic land and put it into your hand, and then shuffle your library. |
| 1 | Deathrender | This Lorwynian piece of heavy armament comes onto the battlefield for only 4, to equip a creature with the sword costs just 2 and gives that creature +2/+2. As a bonus when the equipped creature buys the farm you get to a put a creature from your hand onto the battlefield equipped with the Deathrender! Nice. |
| 1 | Vivid Crag | Comes into play with 2 charge counters, can either tap for R, or tap and remove a charge counter to add one mana of any color to your mana pool. |
| 1 | Vivid Grove | Comes into play with 2 charge counters, can either tap for G, or tap and remove a charge counter to add one mana of any color to your mana pool. |
| 1 | Vivid Marsh | Comes into play with 2 charge counters, can either tap for B, or tap and remove a charge counter to add one mana of any color to your mana pool. |
| 4 | Tranquil Thicket | Early game, comes into play tapped and then can be tapped to add G to yout mana pool, late game it cycles for G to draw you a card. |
| 2 | Mountain | |
| 2 | Plains | |
| 3 | Island | |
| 2 | Swamp | |
| 7 | Forest | |
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