2-ofs a kind…What Funny Card Counts Have to Do with Winning.

Just had a quick idea, an addendum really to the brewing I’ve been doing lately and the reactions I anticipate from readers bamboozled by the density of singletons and two-ofs in the lists. Now, everything I’m about to say has nothing to do with the fact that I have no compunction about weird numbers in decklists I actually register. I am not about to make the case for this, even though I think there are many compelling psychological, mathematical, and strategic arguments.

I Like Scapeshift Zoo, but I Wouldn’t Wanna Marry It

Up until this week, I hadn’t played much Magic at all in the last few months. Maybe 3 or 4 Modo drafts (and all in a single sitting) and a single extended PTQ where I lost in the finals playing Elves.

I knew GP Houston was coming up soon, but it kinda snuck up on me. When Kyle Sanchez told me we needed to pick out a deck so Mike Conley and Heroes and Fantasies (out of San Antonio) could help us put them together, I looked through a few decklists and was struck by Scapeshift Zoo. Anyone familiar with my deckbuilding history (I’m looking at you, Zac Hill) knows that I thrive on finding ways to wedge extra game plans and phenomenal power into existing frameworks. I loved the way Jon Louck’s Scapeshift Zoo leveraged the namesake addition, turning aggressive beaters into combo pieces that could kill an averagely defended opponent on turn 4. Scapeshift seemed to give the decks a critical mass of nut draws. And I like being in that place.

Hardcasting Eldrazi

I attended GP Houston this weekend, and even though I only posted a 4-2-1 with Scapeshift Zoo, the juices are flowing again. The next round of relevant tournaments are Standard qualifiers for Pro Tour Amsterdam, so that’s what I’m going to be looking at for the near future.

Coming to the format with fresh eyes (I know Jund is good, but I don’t hate it yet), the first thing that strikes me is how awesome the mana ramp is right now. Saturday, Bdm asked me what officially-spoiled card excited me most. At the time, I said Joraga Treespeaker, but that’s only because I hadn’t seen Kozilek’s Predator yet. I’m pretty comfortable comparing this guy to Garruk Wildspeaker; it offers similar flexibility and slightly better defense, while providing a Veggies effect much more consistently and just a little less explosively. I know he doesn’t come equipped with Overrun, but if that’s the party you’re going to, his three warm bodies are more than welcome. Steve Sadin, in his column at dailymtg.com, predicted heavy block play for this card but was hesitant to vouch for it in standard. Personally, I have no doubts.