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The girls are back this week sadly they were missed from the last article for some reason they must have been on holiday!

Ok so what do I have for you this week, well as the summary suggests it's going to be a deck based around landfall. There are quite a few land fall cards across the colours in Zendikar, I've already covered Black and White decks so to keep things different I'm going to run a Blue and Green deck today.

Let's have a look at the cards which will help to trigger landfall abilities Harrow is always a good start, sacrifice a land to search for two basic lands of your choice. Khalni Heart Expedition is a special card as it has landfall it's self, when it has three counters you can sacrifice it to search for two basic lands which could trigger another landfall ability. I'm also going to run two creatures that help with landfall the first is  Living Tsunami which while in play returns a land to your hand in your upkeep which can then be replayed. The second creature I'm going to try is a cheap rare Oracle of Mul Daya. This card lets you play an extra land a turn and also view the top card of your library if it's a land you can also play it from the top of your deck as if it was in your hand. The card does have an expensive cost but I'm willing to give it a try.

 

So we now have our cards to trigger landfall let's have a look at cards that we can use that will benefit from it. On the  side we have Roil Elemental this card is very fragile as it's only a 3/2 but it's landfall ability is very nice. When triggered it lets you take control of target creature of your choice for as long as Roil Elemental remains in play. The next creature that I wanted to try is Windrider Eel I admit it dosn't look great a 2/2 for 4 mana but it gets +2/+2 every time a land enters play. With Harrow as an instant and the ability to also trigger Khalni Heart Expedition at instant speed it could turn out as a good combat trick creature. On to the  cards I've wanted to play Rampaging Baloths for a long time they have been sitting in my virtual binder for a few weeks now. Their landfall ability triggers a 4/4 beast token into play, can't wait to use these guys.

The next thing to look at is removal now in a  deck you're not likely to find any direct damage or destroy target creature spells. On the counter side there is Summoner's Bane which counters a creature spell and puts a 2/2 token into play, It's not bad but costs four mana. On the bounce side we have Into the Roil which returns a creature to its owner's hand, if you pay the kicker you get to draw a card as well. Also on the bounce side is another creature I've wanted to try Gomazoa, this weird looking creature has the ability when it blocks to tap and return itself and the creature it blocked to the top of their owners decks and the decks are re-shuffled. I like the thought of this as it can block creatures many times its size and remove them from the game so to speak. There is one last removal card that I included in the deck which is Mold Shambler if you pay its kicker cost it can destroy target non-creature permanent, which includes lands and planeswalkers.

The only other cards that I included that are not mentioned above are Sphinx of Jwar isle which I wanted to include from my last article. River Boa as it's a nice early creature with regeneration. Note the River Boa's used for this article are not native to Zendikar they were imported by a planeswalker as you will see in the game reviews. Last up is Misty Rainforest now you don't have to use this card in the deck as it does add a fair sum on top, did I find them useful, yes. Could I have played without them and the answer is yes again so the choice is yours.

Final Deck

Current cost as of 14/11/09 from MTGOTraders is just under $30.00, without the Misty Rainforest's $14.00

 

Games

Game 1 vs Afreawind

 

I start out with a good hand 3 forests, 1 island, River Boa, Gomazoa and Mold Shambler.

My first none land card is Khalni Heart Expedition on turn 2 while Afreawind slings a Punishing Fire into my face at the end of my turn.
Turn 3 and I play a forest and then Harrow which boosts the Khalni Heart Expedition to three counters ending my turn 3 with six lands in play, Afreawind hits me with another Punishing Fire at the end of my turn.

Next turn and Afreawind is off with the first creature Plated Geopede. In my turn I play another Khalni Heart Expedition and Oracle of Mul Daya. From Oracle’s ability I can see the top card of my library which is another Oracle of Mul Daya I was hoping for a creature that would benefit from all the mana I have access to.

Afreawind’s passes his turn without casting a spell and I cast a kickered Mold Shambler and target one of Afreawind’s Mountain’s, yes that was a bit mean but every advantage must be taken in this game. I finish off by sending the Oracle in for two damage.

On Afreawind’s turn he plays Scalding Tarn and sacrifices it for a mountain leaving the Plated Geopede a 5/5 from the two triggers of landfall. My Oracle is taken out by Punishing Fire and the Geopede mulches across for five damage taking me down to 11 life. In my turn I send in the Mold Shambler for three damage and cast Gomazoa and another Oracle of Mul Daya revealing Living Tsunami on top of my deck.

Afreawind plays Goblin War Paint on his Geopede making it a 3/3 and passes. In my turn I play the  Living Tsunami and a second Khalni Heart Expedition and pass.

Next turn and Afreawind plays Quest for Pure Flame and Pyromancer Ascension. I need to start taking him out soon before I lose as that is a very powerful combo. In my turn I return a forest to my hand due to Living Tsunami and draw Misty Rainforest but I still don’t have any Landfall creatures so don’t sacrifice it. I attack with the Living Tsunami taking Afreawind down to 10 life.

Afreawind draw and plays his fourth mountain this turn and plays Elemental Appeal creating a 7/1 elemental token. I ‘m attacked by the token, I block with my Gomazoa but due to the excessive lag on Afreawind’s side I miss my chance to use its ability and it dies leaving me on 7 life. In my turn I attack with the Living Tsunami taking Afreawind down to 6 life and cast another Gomazoa and River Boa.

Afreawind plays Obsidian Fireheart but it’s too late as I have four creature vs two and in my turn attack for the winning 6 points of damage.

That was a good game the mana worked very well I just didn’t draw a creature that would have benefitted from landfall. The lag on Afreawind’s side was unbearable this game but I was totally unaffected. There was six minutes at the end of the game between our clocks just because of the lag. 

After a number of games I found out that the mistake I made with Gomazoa was not related to lag but due to me somehow losing one of my turn stops since the last update.

Game 2 vs netmand

I start off with a mulligan to 2 forests, 2 Harrow, Rampaging Baloths and Gomazoa.

Netmand plays the first card on turn two Ior Ruin Expedition.

Turn 3 and I play Gomazoa which looking back I think was a bad play should have played Harrow.  Netmand plays a second Ior Ruin Expedition and plays a land to add a counter to each. 

This turn I play double Harrow leaving me with three islands and three forests on turn 4 which isn’t bad and netmand passes without playing a card.
I bring the Rampaging Baloths into the fray but netmand plays Journey to Nowhere on them before they get a look in.

As my poor Baloths vanished off to another plane this time I try Roil Elemental, netmand plays a land and sacrifices one of the Ior Ruin Expedition’s but doesn’t play a card.

In my turn I bolster my forces with Windrider Eel and netmand plays Marsh Casualties in his turn I send Windrider Eel back to my hand with Into the Roil and lose the Roil Elemental.

Next turn I replay my Windrider Eel and netmand plays Blade of the Bloodchief and a Vampire Nighthawk and equips him with the blade.

I play Sphinx of Jwar Isle in my turn and Misty Rainforest to boost the Windrider Eel if netmand plays another Marsh Casualties in his turn and then swing in with the eel taking netmand down to 13 life. Netmand plays a second Marsh Casualties and I change my mind and don’t trigger the Misty Rainforest and let the Eel die. The Vampire Nighthawk attacks which is now a 4/5 and I block with Gomazoa and return both cards to the top of our decks which are then reshuffled.

I attack with the Sphinx taking netmand down to 8 life and play my other Gomazoa I’ve had in my hand for a while as a backup.
 

A few turns later and I take the win with a second Sphinx of Jwar Isle as the first died while blocking another Vampire Nighthawk the replay crashed before this point though as it couldn’t handle the ability from the Sphinx and was throwing up errors.

Win 2

Lost 0

Game 3 vs Preved Medved

I start out with the perfect hand 2 islands, 1 forest, Windrider Eel, Living Tsunami, Harrow and Oracle of Mul Daya.

Preved is first to kick off with Oran-Rief Survivalist on turn two.

I play Harrow on turn 3 to take me to two forests and two islands. Preved plays Ondu Cleric adding a +1/+1 counter on to the survivalist who then hits me for three damage.

In my turn I play one of my permanent landfall cards Living Tsunami, Preved answers this by playing Journey to Nowhere in his turn and then hits me with his allies.

This turn I play Windrider Eel and pass and Preved takes it out in his turn with Burst Lightning and then plays a second  Oran-Rief Survivalist and hits me for five damage taking me down to 8 life.

Oracle of Mul Daya tries a valid defence but is crushed by the power of the allies and I loose.

Allies is the only deck so far in Zendikar block constructed that I’ve not been able to beat with any of the decks I’ve made, they remind me of playing slivers.

Win 2

Lost 1

Game 4 vs Taublack68

I start off with a mana heavy hand consisting of 2 forest, 3 islands, Khalni Heart Expedition and Mold Shambler.

My first play is on turn 2 with Khalni Heart Expedition followed on turn 3 by Harrow leaving me at the end of turn 3 with six lands in play.
Turn 4 and I cast my kickered Mold Shambler taking out Tau’s only Mountain leaving him with two plains in play, in retaliation before the mountain is sent to the graveyard Tau casts punishing Fire on me for two damage. In Tau’s turn he plays Journey to Nowhere on the Mold Shambler.

In my next turn I cast another khalni Heart Expedition and Living Tsunami. In Tau’s turn he kills my creature with Day of Judgment.

Next turn I draw and play a Misty Rainforest and pass while Tau passes as well.

Turn 8 and I draw my Sphinx of Jwar Isle and play it, only to be taken out by another Day of Judgment in Tau’s turn.

Next turn I draw and play Oracle of Mul Daya and hope he sticks around but he’s taken out by Punishing Fire in Tau’s turn.

Next up is Gomazoa and at this point I have three Islands left in my hand, things aren’t looking good. Tau plays Conqueror's Pledge I draw another land and pass, Tau attacks with his tokens taking me down to 13 life and plays Punishing Fire to deal the last two points needed to kill my Gomazoa and plays Emeria Angel.

In my turn I draw and play Windrider Eel, it better than nothing. Tau attacks with everything and I block the angel with me Eel and sacrifice the Misty Rainforest to boost the Eel to a 4/4 due to his landfall ability, Tau plays Shieldmate's Blessing on the angel to save her and I’m left at the end of the turn with 6 life.

In my turn I don’t think I stand a chance but draw Rampaging Baloths, I play the Baloths and sacrifice a land to trigger the Baloths for a token. In Tau’s turn I sacrifice the Khalni Heart Expedition for two more land / Baloth tokens. Tau plays another Conqueror's Pledge but dosent attack and finished me off in the following turn.

If only I had the Baloths early I may have been able to pull off a win but it didn’t turn out that way.  

Win 2

Lost 2

Game 5 vs elliottATL

My starting hand consists of 1 island, 1 forest, Misty Rainforest, Into the Roil, River Boa, Mold Shambler and Windrider Eel.

elliottATL starts off on his turn 1 with Guul Draz Vampire.

Turn two I play River Boa and elliottATL plays and equips Blade of the Bloodchief.

In my turn I send in my River Boa for two damage and then in elliottATL’s turn he Disfigure’s my River Boa and send’s his vampire in for a taste of blood, but before it sinks its teeth in I send it back to elliottATL’s hand with Into the Roil. elliottATL then re-casts the vampire.

Next turn I play a Misty Rainforest for a forest and then Living Tsunami. elliottATL plays a second Guul Draz Vampire and equips it with the blade and attacks with the other which I block giving a +1/+1 counter to the other vampire. 

My turn comes round and I play Windrider Eel which is Disfigure’d giving a further 2 counters yo the Guul Draz Vampire, she is hungry for blood that one. In elliottATL’s turn he sends in the 5/5 vampire taking me down to 14 life.

I try again and cast another Windrider Eel and attack with the Living Tsunami taking elliottATL down to 14 life as well. elliottATL attacks back for five damage in his turn. I made a mistake here and let the vampire through and the five damage but me below ten life which has now triggered the Guul Draz Vampires full blood sucking abilities boosting her to a 7/6 unblockable beast.

In my next turn I return my land to my hand from Living Tsunami and play it to boost the Eel and send them both in dealing eight damage taking elliottATL down to 6 life. I then cast a second Living Tsunami, I know it can’t block but should enable me to win next turn depending on what tricks elliottATL has up his sleeve.  elliottATL plays Blood Tribute dropping me to four and the lady of the night comes in for her final feed.

Win 2

Lost 3

The art work for this card was actually based on spiders and is available for download as a wallpaper from Steve's website, there is also the full art work for Chandra Ablaze which is breathtaking.

www.steveargyle.com 

Thoughts

The deck didn't perform very well in most of the games I played I seemed to be drawing more land's than creatures that had the landfall ability. I think I should have added a further two more Rampaging Baloths as they didn't show up often enough.

I'm still not sure what to do about those allies though they come down fast and heavy Day of Judgment is falling in price its currently on $5.50, maybe I should try splashing into white for the mass removal and also Emeria Angel.

Next article I will be looking at the last Zendikar block constructed deck before I move onto something different.