Magic Deck Vortex: March 2005 Combos

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
March (2005) Featured Combos. Last updated 3-19-05 (25 Combos)
Exploration - Words of Wind - Gaea's Cradle - Argothian Enchantress (and/or Trade Routes)
Yet another combo submitted by JJ Stors. Let's hope I don't butcher the description of this one. Anyway, assume you have all pieces of the puzzle in play and 5 creatures. Tap Gaea's Cradle for 5 mana and play Exploration (4 mana left). With enchantress in play, put the card drawing on the stack but replace it with Words of Wind and bounce Exploration back to your hand (3 mana left). Now return Gaea's cradle with Trade Routes (2 mana left) and play the Exploration (1 mana left). You can now play another land, so you can play Gaea's Cradle again too. This has netted you 1 mana. Do the process again to go infinite with mana. Thanks for the combo JJ!
Bringer of the Black Dawn - Beacon of Tomorrows (+Honden of Cleansing Fire)
This combo was partially submitted by Kyle Nunn (without the Honden). Originally, the combo was submitted without Honden of Cleansing Fire. Without it, I couldn't really call it infinite, could I. Here's how it plays. Note that this is a late game combo. With Bringer of the Dawn in play, at the beginning of your upkeep, you can pay 2 life and search your library for a card. Search for Beacon of Tomorrows. Play it. Shuffle it back into your library. At the beginning of your next turns upkeep you can search for the beacon again, cast it, and play for infinite turns. Without the Honden, you would eventually run out of life before you could declare infinite turns. Hmmph.
Planar Chaos - Urza's Rage (+Krark's Thumb)
This combo was submitted by D.M. Stedehouder (with a deck!). The deck will be added later. Planar Chaos is one of those tough 'coin flip' cards to break. However, if you think 'cardname cannot be countered' then you are on the right track to breaking the card in a casual deck. Urza's Rage is a great card to use that in the same color as Planar Chaos. If you want to maximize the use of Planar Chaos and use non-uncounterable (is that a word?) spells, try Krark's Thumb to increase your chances of playing a spell by winning the coin flip.
Cunning Bandit - Blood Rites
Yes, I know. This is a regurgitation of any other two card combination that let's you take control of a creature (that an opponent controls) and then sacrifice it to another permanent. My favorite of which is the Claws of Gix and Rein of Power combo. But anyway, I think that is all that needs to be said of this particular combo.
Eternal Witness - Snap (+Wild Growth / Fertile Ground)
This combo was submitted by JJ Stors. This is actually a clever infinite mana combo. You need to have two lands enchanted with wild growths and/or fertile grounds so that between the two they generate 6 mana (only one of which needs to be blue). Okay.. tap your lands and cast Eternal Witness (3 mana left). Return whatever you want in your graveyard to your hand. Now Snap her back to your hand (1 mana left) and untap your two lands (that have the enchantments on them). You net one mana from this. Repeat. Get infinite mana. Thanks, JJ.
Entropic Specter - Viseling / Howling Mine
Entropic specter sucks. Unless, of course, you can get an opponent to keep his hand full. Two great ways, of many, is the simplistic and veteran Howling Mine. A better, and more persuasive, or shall I say threatening way, to keep your opponent's hand full is by casting a card like Viseling (or Black Vise) to make your opponent take damage from having too few cards in hand. Hey, and I even have a deck using the combination. How's that for good? It would be better if the deck was by me.. but I digress.
Clock of Omens - Thran Dynamo - Staff of Domination - Urza's Contact Lenses
I really don't feel like explaining this one. You can figure it out. Here is Mark Gottlieb's description (quoted) from Magic the Gathering dot com: Clock of Omens + Thran Dynamo + Staff of Domination + Urza's Contact Lenses = infinite colorless mana and blistered palms. You can replace the Staff with another Lenses or vice versa for the same result.
Palinchron - Fertile Ground / Wild Growth - Gaea's Cradle or Serra Sanctum
This combo was submitted by JJ Stors. Also, this combo is very similar to the high tide/Palinchron combo already on the infinite mana page. When Palinchron comes into play, it untaps 7 lands with it. In order to get infinite mana, you need to have 7 lands tap for at least 12 mana (four of which need to be blue). You can accomplish this by having one or more of your lands be Gaea's Cradle (with several creatures out), Serra's Sanctum (with several enchantments out), and/or having your lands enchanted with Wild Growth, Fertile Ground and/or Overgrowth. When you tap seven lands for 12 mana, cast Palinchron (for 5UU) and untap 7 lands. Then return the Palinchron to your hand for 2UU. This has netted you 1 mana and you can repeat to go infinite. Simple. Effective. It uses more cards than High Tide / Palinchron but is easy to fit into an enchantress deck (as JJ Stors has in his WOW Enchantress deck).
Impulsive Maneuvers - Krark's Thumb / Chance Encounter
This is another coin flip combo submitted by D.M. Stedehouder. Before Impulsive Maneuvers, getting ten counters on Chance Encounter was a tough obstacle (lets forget about the Frenetic Efreet before the errata was issued). With Impulsive Maneuvers, you can flip a coin for every attacking creature including your opponents' creatures. In group play, this is a killer combo to win you the game. If you want to have a little more control over the effect of the Odyssey enchantment, try adding Krark's Thumb so you can better decide when a creature deals double damage or no damage at all. Note: The extra flip you get from Krark's thumb doesn't give you another counter on Chance Encounter.
Did you know...?
To the right and left of this text is something called the MDV Deck Link. You will only fine these link buttons on the combo pages. When you click on a MDV Deck Link it will take you to a deck related to the combo where you found it. If the button is to the left of the combo text, this means there is a deck already linked. If the link is to the right, there is a deck found or that is going to be posted. Or it is a combo I am currently looking for a deck using it. Mind you, not all decks links are going to center around that particular combo, although some do. On that note, I strongly encourage you to not copy any deck on MDV, but to use it as a reference or inspiration for your own. As always, thanks for visiting MDV! ~John Streetz~
Wild Research - Fiery Temper or Accumulated Knowledge
Wild Research is a bad card. That's my two cents. However, what if you chose cards that matter in your graveyard or that matter if you have to discard them? Think Kindle, Fiery Temper, Accumulated Knowledge, anything with Buyback, Flashback, Madness, etc. Why do these cards combo with Wild Research? Because you can search for say Kindle with Wild Research for 1U. But then you have to discard it. Whether of not you discard it doesn't matter. If it goes to your graveyard, when you cast a different Kindle you get to deal an extra point of damage. If you discard something else, you still get to cast it. And you can Wild Research any number of times in a turn based on your available mana.
Trade Routes - Seismic Assault (+Crucible of Worlds)
Without Land Tax, Seismic Assault isn't as fun. However, if you don't own a Land Tax for your Seismic Assault deck, Trade Routes does wonders. You can use your lands on the table as shocks for 1 colorless mana using the Trade Routes. You see, if you aren't familiar with Trade Routes, you can pay 1 to return a land you control to your hand. This works great as a finisher for any Seismic Assault deck. Crucible of Worlds in the mix just let's you maximize the use of your lands to deal damage with this red enchantment. Nice.
Copper-Leaf Angel - Rivalry
Copper-Leaf Angel is one of the sexy, elegant cards that everyone wants to own and master. There are cards like Planar Birth or Crucible of Worlds that have great synergy with the Angel. However, if you want a way to twist the fates in your favor after playing the Angel, try laying down a worthless enchantment from the Urza's block - Rivalry. This way, when you sacrifice your land or lands to the Angel, you can make sure you have less lands than your opponent so he or she takes the damage from the Rivalry during their turn.
Battered Golem - Quicksilver Dagger or Viridian Longbow
As posted, this isn't an infinite combo. It could be if you could find a way to keep bringing artifacts into play to untap your golem. However, it is just a fun combo with abusable possibilities. If you enchant the golem with Quicksilver Dagger or equip it with Viridian Longbow - the end result is almost the same. You can tap the golem to deal a point of damage to your opponent's side of the table when an artifact comes into play. In the right deck full of artifacts and maybe even words of wind... this little 3/2 artifact creature from Darksteel becomes a Gunslingin' Golem. Yee-hah!
Pyramids - Kudzu
Who ever thought I would have Pyramids on a featured combo page? It's old and when I first say the deck list to the left (using this combo), I had to look up what it did. I've personally never even owned or seen this card in real life. Anyway, here is how it works. Cast Kudzu on an opponent's land. When he or she taps that land for mana, the land will be destroyed by Kudzu and then they can put it on one of your lands. Tap you (now enchanted) land and then regenerate it with Pyramids for 2. Your land won't be destroyed from the effects of Kudzu but you still get to move it onto one of your opponent's lands. Your opponent might ask... "How Kudzu Do That?"
Possessed Portal - Myr Servitor (2)
This one I actually found in one of the recent deck submissions, linked to the left. With possessed portal, you need cards to keep it on the table.. but you can't draw any cards with it either. If you can't discard a card, then you have to sacrifice a permanent. With at least one Myr Servitor in play, at the beginning of your upkeep you can return any Myr Servitors in your graveyard to play. You want to use those Myr to sacrifice them to the portal. This combo works if you have at least two myr out when you cast the portal.
Beacon of Destruction - Arc-Slogger
You want to have one or more beacons in your hand and the slogger on the table to make this work right. Remove all of the cards in your library with Arc-Slogger and then cast Beacon of Destruction. You deal lots of damage to your opponent and then the beacon gets shuffled back into your library. As long as this is your only card in your library, you can keep casting it every turn and putting it back into your library so that you have a card to draw every turn. However, beware of your opponent forcing you to draw a card.
Staff of Domination - Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Rock on with all of the infinite combos this month. This is simple. Have both cards in play with at least 5 forests in play. Tap your elf Legend and add 5 green mana to your mana pool. Not spend 3 and tap the staff to untap Rofellos and another 1 to untap the staff. This nets you 1 mana and repeat for infinite mana. Cool. A two card infinite mana combo. You don't see too many of those any more. Mind you, you can replace Rofellos with any creature that can produce 5 or more mana.
Surestrike Trident - Wall of Blood
This combo was submitted by John Doe (what an original handle). Last year I posted a combo with Wall of Blood and any fling variant. Surestrike works as well too. As long as you have more life than your opponent (by at least one), you can attack the trident to your wall of blood, use it's ability to pump him life (1 life for +1/+1 until end of turn) and then unattach the trident to deal the damage to your opponent. Only with this combo, you don't loose your wall of blood. Not that this matters since you are going to win the game anyway. Note that I wouldn't suggest this combo if your play group likes Mindslaver.
Mortal Combat - Iname, Death Aspect
Mortal combat allows you to win the game if you have 20 or more creatures in your graveyard (which is checking during your upkeep). The fastest way to fill your graveyard with creatures is Iname, Death Aspect. Just make sure your deck is loaded with spirits and cast Iname with Mortal Combat in play. Search your library for 20 spirit cards and put them into your graveyard. You win next turn. Check the deck link to the right by - the deck is by Mark Gottlieb. Have I ever mentioned I really like his off the wall casual decks?
Tornado Elemental - Blanchwood Armor
This combo was submitted by the Great Green Death. Tornado has the evolved and better trample ability.. where you can just attack and deal the damage to your opponent whether or not you are blocked. If you want to speed up your games, cast blanchwood armor on the elemental before you attack. Assuming you have lots of forests out, you can swing (possibly) for the kill. Thanks for the combo, Mr. Green Death.
Ow - Censorship (set to "ow") - Opalescence
Quoted from Mark Gottlieb's article found here. How does this work? The combo is out on the table. I damage you with a creature. Ow triggers. If you say “ow,” Censorship will trigger and deal 2 damage to you—and since Censorship is a creature thanks to Opalescence, Ow will trigger again. Go back to the top of the loop! If, on the other hand, you don't say “ow” when you're damaged, Ow itself will deal 1 damage to you—and since Ow is a creature thanks to Opalescence, Ow will trigger again. Go back to the top of the loop!
Dawn Elemental - Entangler
If you have a creature on the table that can block any number of creatures, that's good. If that same creature has 'prevent all damage that would be dealt to it'.. that's Dawn Elemental and Entangler. You can keep blocking any number of creatures and never die. Mind you, creatures with trample, fear and shadow find ways to get past this combo, but hey. It's still fun.
Turbulent Dreams - Warped Devotion
This combo was submitted by Rafael Santos (a long time ago). Yup. This combo was submitted to my almost a year ago. But I was saving it for a combo page like this one. This combo translates into discard X cards, put X target cards into your opponent's graveyard. Of course, that translation only works if you opponent has no cards in hand when you play Turbulent Dreams (with Warped Devotion in play).. but it's still powerful. Thanks for the combo, Rafael.
Power Conduit - Homarid(s)
This combo was submitted by jwaddy. Okay. Homarids are bad. I mean... they are like from Fallen Empires! Anyway, Homarids have these silly little 'tide' counters that make the card useless until you have several of these counters on the creature (you get one during each of your upkeeps). Wait.. did I say counter. Turn those 'tide' counters into +1/+1 counters with Power Conduit and build your bad Homarids into something like a 10/10 shell fish. Not bad.
Delaying Shield - Eon Hub
This combo was submitted by several people. Eon Hub works with any card that uses the upkeep particularly with cumulative upkeep cards. However, Delaying Shield isn't one of those cumulative upkeep cards. It prevents damage done to you and for each damage you have to put a counter on the shield. At the beginning of your upkeep you would normally remove all counters on the shield and for each one you would normally pay one of take the damage then. However, if you have no upkeep you never have to pay for the counters.. and thus are invincible while both of these cards are on the table.
Your Combo Here!
Email the webmaster with any combos using older cards. You can email them to magicdeckvortex(at)hotmail(dot)com. Try to make sure your combo works and that there isn't already a combo on any combo page like the one you are submitting. While I know that is difficult to do, you can always do a search on Google for the card or card names and "www.magicdeckvortex.com" . This should tell you right away if there is a deck already on MDV. I greatly appreciate your efforts to make these combo pages better! Know that everyone once in a while I have a page chock-full of your submitted combos.. although I will admit about 50% of all combos submitted to MDV are duplicates... :( Anyway, you'll almost always find a small handful of decks submitted by you, the visitors of MDV, on any combo page.