Druids… druids… druids. Given you’ve seen 4 straight days of nothing but druids on Magic Deck Vortex, I would think you are sick of them. Are you sick of them yet?

Y… *slap*

[whimpering]

N... No.

Good! Because I plan on bringing you my list of the top twenty druids in Magic: the Gathering. Here’s where I go on for a few paragraphs talking about druids and their kin and their motives and what not, but several other MDV writers already have. And thus I’ll just cut to the point – a little prologue and then the list.

I guess that’s not getting to the point, but I digress.

I plan on starting with #20 and working my way up to #1. You may not agree with my list, but that’s just it – you don’t have to. Just check it out and enjoy as I present a few decks, a few tidbits, and a few comments about each. Plus, there will be an ‘honorable mentions’ section towards the end of this article.

So, without further ado, here we go…

Number One!!!

The best, most awesome druid in the world is Village Elder from Mirage. Village Elder has a better ability than any druid ever before or after it. He’s a sleak 1/1 body for only one green mana that lets you regenerate a creature for the small cost of one green mana and a forest. That’s amazing! It’s even better than Wild Cantor’s ability. If One with Nothing was a druid, he would almost have beaten Village Elder out of first place.

The elder is old. He makes great use of your lands. He looks cool. He has beautiful song lyrics for flavor text. He must be rich because look at all of that gold around his neck. He almost looks like he could be a girl… And he combos well with Sakura-Tribe Elder, Darksteel Colossus and Wrath of God.

I would provide you with a deck for Village Elder, but… I have to come clean.

Village Elder is not the number one Druid of all time. I was just joking. Village Elder was actually the lowest ranked druid on the list. There are a total of 58 druids in magic (that I’m aware of) and this one scored the worst. So……..

How do I score?

Well. Eh-hem. I mean how did I score the cards?

I used three different categories worth 10 points each and added up the points. Once I scored each card I modified the scores based on the other cards around it until I perfected the list. The three categories were Power, Coolness and Efficiency. I won’t go into detail about each one, but know that this is how I scored the cards.

Seriously, onto the top 20 druids:

#20 -- Citanul Hierophants
“From deep in the caves beneath the forest, the hierophants planned the druids’ raids against the enemy.” That’s the flavor text on this guy and I like it. How appropriate that their ability to generate more mana with more creatures would be a means to plan for something bigger. I’ll be honest that I never pictured druids as an attacking bunch but who needs to attack when you have oodles of mana to cast nature magic on your foes.

This card made the list for two reasons. One, I really like the art by Vincent Evans. I think it really encapsulates the idea of the card and the fact that it’s a druid. Second, its ability was very unique given that at the time, no card had ever been printed before it with a similar ability.

It’s ashamed that the card is a dollar bins rare. (Pssst… Death_By_Beebles… Psst…) However, I’m sure you can find great uses for this guy in your squirrel-druid deck. At least you get a 3/2 for four mana that makes all of your creatures Llanowar Elves in spirit.

#19 -- Nantuko Tracer
Earlier this week, is a deck-article called Duck, Duck, Druid, I posted a deck called Fruit Loops & Tracers. This deck revolved heavily around a two-card combo: Tracer & Verdant Succession.

How does this combo work? With Verdant Succession in play, a Tracer in hand and one also in your graveyard, play the Tracer in your hand. When it comes into play, you get to put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library. Plus, because Verdant Succession is in play you get to search your library for a card with the same name as Nantuko Tracer and put it into play. Now you have two Tracers in play. However, if you sacrifice the first Tracer you played to a card like Phyrexian Altar, Ashnod’s Altar, Carrion Feeder, or anything else that can sacrifice a creature, when the second Tracer comes into play, you can target the Tracer in your graveyard and repeat for infinite whatever.

This infinite combo is why the Tracer made the list. Oh, and if you don’t like the deck I posted in Duck, Duck Druid --- check out either Green Mana Machine or Succession of the Nantuko (an old Mill Thrill contest deck).

#18 -- Nantuko Blightcutter
OBMBC(Oddyssey Block Mono Black Control)’s worst nightmare. Not really, but a good threat. If there was ever a really mean green black-hater, it would be this insect. With protection from black and a killer threshold ability (Nantuko Blightcutter gets +1/+1 for each black permanent your opponents control) this guy is amazing against black decks.

Unfortunately, it’s not all that good against non-black decks which is why the Blightcutter didn’t score higher on this list. You could always force the fates in your favor and play Darkest Hour in conjunction with the insect… this makes it happy (and black too).

This deck isn’t focused on the Blightcutter – Darkest Hour combo as much as it is focused on the Darkest Hour – Death Pit Offering – One Dozen Eyes combo… but it looks fun. Even more fun in multiplayer. I think I would have called this deck Assimilation.

#17 -- Thriss, Nantuko Primus
…the first of three legendary druids to appear on the list. Thriss is cool. He is unique as he gives any creature +5/+5 until end of turn. All for one green mana and a tap.

He does, however, cost 7 mana for a 5/5 body. That’s not so good. You would think with all of the big green efficient beaters in green that this Nantuko could have costed 3GGG or even 4GG. Had he cost less, he would have been higher on the Druid list and probably more favorable to the Magic player.

Despite the casting cost, he is still a casual player’s dream -- a big creature with a big effect. What more could we casual player’s want?

Before you answer that, remember that we aren’t talking Elves here… just druids. (I’m thinking of that cool green elf from Onslaught block that gives +X/+X where X is the number of elves in play).

#16 -- Wood Sage
Mistform Ultimus aside, this is the only blue druid in existence. Perhaps that will change once the Simic come around in Dissension (which I am highly looking forward to) but in the meantime, he is still the only blue Druid. Had I only done the top ten druids, the Sage would have been on the Honorable Mentions list because I just love the card.

Yes, this is another card I am biased on, but who doesn’t like this card? I always wanted to build a deck around him but was never able to do it successfully. Thankfully, Death_By_Beebles featured him in his article from Monday.. so please check that deck out – it’s amazing.

Did I mention he combos nicely with Relentless Rats? Well, he does. If you choose to put the Sage in a deck of yours:

• Be sure to build the entire deck around him
• Include Sensei’s Diving Top and/or Soothsaying in the deck
• Have lots of ‘four ofs’ of your creatures in the deck.

#15 -- Krosan Restorer
There are some things in life that I don’t understand. This card is one of them. Ley Druid, the predecessor of all ‘Ley Druid-like’ cards, is uncommon and always has been with exception to Fifth Edition. It is a 1/1 for 2G and taps to only untap one land.

Krosan Restorer, from Torment, is a 1/2 for 2G, is common and taps to untap one land OR upon threshold taps to untap up to THREE target lands. Is this really fair to the Ley? I don’t think it is. How dare Wizard’s make the Ley look bad by printing the Restorer?! I understand that cards evolve over the course of time, but they REPRINTED LEY DRUID AS AN UNCOMMON in ninth edition.

Can you make sense of this? I know I can’t.

With all of that said, Krosan Restorer was GREAT for some infinite mana combos. Because of that, and being “strictly” (that word goes out to you PRO MTG ONLINE) better than Ley Druid, it made it into slot fifteen in the druid list. Congrats.

#14 -- Stone-Seeder Hierophant
This is a little more fair. It isn’t strictly better than Ley Druid by any means – just different. It costs one more green mana than Ley and is still uncommon. I do feel that the Hierophants have a bit of an edge over the Restorer given it’s ability. You see, whenever a land comes into play under your control, you untap the Hierophant.

By the way, what is an Hierophant? According to dictionary.com, it is a:

1. An ancient Greek priest who interpreted sacred mysteries, especially the priest of the Eleusinian mysteries.
2. An interpreter of sacred mysteries or arcane knowledge.
3. One who explains or makes a commentary.
Apparently in Magic, there should be a #4 in that definition: 4. A druid.

Anyway, anything that can untap multiple times in one turn is good. Teamed up with Perilous Forays and Seed the Land, the Stone-Seeder is amazing. Or, New Horizons. Either way, I posted a deck using this one in Duck, Duck, Druids earlier this week. I would encourage you to check it out.

#13 -- Quirion Elves
These guys were originally printed in Mirage (which is why they are a Druid now – thanks MTGO) and then reprinted in Invasion. To be literal, they were also printed in the Beatdown Box. The Quirion Elves are a staple mana fixer and a staple card in general. They aren’t as efficient as the Llanowar Elves, but they are just as good.

They work well in Druid decks. They work well in Elf decks. In any deck using green and one or more other colors, they are excellent and fit well into most mana curves. They even work well in Domain decks. They’ve had many appearances in tournaments scenes since Mirage and they are just all-around good. Thus is why they made it onto the list in the unlucky 13 slot (not that there is anything unlucky about this card).

#12 – Werebear
Roar. Who ever thought a bear could be a druid? Anyone?

Well, the Werebear is amazing and has even made recent appearance in the Eternal Leagues of Magic, not that I care. However, this is a GOOD CARD. It starts off as a Llanowar Elf for 1G but when you reach threshold…. BAM! It’s now a 4/4 creature ready to perform a beating on your opponent.

Werebear should fit into any tribal Druid deck with ease and, in fact, SHOULD be in any druid tribal deck you build. It’s not like you can’t get your hands on one. It was common!

If you want decks… I would suggest you check out Jay Moldenhauer-Salazar’s “Right to Bear Arms” article on Wizards. It’s from 2002 but it has 5 decent bear tribal decks, 4 of which use Werebear. I know… I know. This is druid week. However, I don’t see me doing a bear week anytime soon.. so deal with it!

#11 -- Diligent Farmhand
Talk about good, efficient druids. Diligent Farmhand is almost as efficient as you can get. It’s a 1/1 for one green mana with two great abilities. With one of the abilities, you could stack combat damage and then sacrifice it and pay 1G to search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. Of course, you could always do that without stacking combat damage, but that is probably the best situation.

Plus, when Diligent Farmhand is in your graveyard, it counts as a Muscle Burst. You know, that instant Giant Growth variant for 1G that gets better with each Muscle Burst in your graveyard.

Overall, this card is good. Its power level is high. It’s useful in any green deck with 4 Muscle Bursts and it has nice artwork.

#10 -- Verduran Enchantress
She is one of the few cards to make it in EVERY core set since Alpha. She is also keen to any combo deck involving enchantments. You could say Endless Wurm is her best friend and maybe even her familiar. Rancor loves her. And so does the majority of casual and tournament Magic players.

And she also starts the top ten list of druids.

How exciting.

As of Thursday evening, she only gained 12% of the votes in the poll but she was up against a tough crowd. Her competitors were Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Yavimaya Elder, Hermit Druid and Llanowar Elves. So that fact that she got that many votes is good.

And thus I bring you version two of Enchant Chant in spirit of Verduran Enchantress securing spot #10 in the druid list:

#9 -- Seton, Krosan Protector
The second legendary creature to make the top 20 druid list… and it’s none other than Seton, Krosan Protector. Cool art. Cool ability. Decent mana cost. Seton is kind of like #20 druid from this list – the Citanul Hierophants. Except that Seton only affects Druids, although the Druids don’t gain an ability, the legend just taps them for mana.

Seton is great in any deck that wants to play big X spells with lots of creatures. If you don’t want to make a druid tribal deck, just add Conspiracy. Or, if you just don’t like the druid selection that is available, make you own! Use Riptide Replicator. Whatever way you use Seton use him well. He has a nifty ability and makes a nice lord of druids.

If only he was more like Kaysa. Why isn’t she a druid?

#8 -- Broodhatch Nantuko
Ooooh. The first druid on the list with Morph. Morph was an interesting ability that many players shun, but I think of it as original and a means to expand on design space. But on this guy, it’s just awesome. It really gives you a surprise factor that can change the tide of most games if played right… just make sure your opponent has to guess what the morphed creature is by having different morph creatures in your deck.

Another cool thing about this Nantuko is that even if it’s dealt 8 damage and dies, you still get to put eight 1/1 insect tokens into play.

#7 -- Avenging Druid
This is where I admit from this point on, at the last minute, I changed the order of the top seven druids. Based on your votes, and also based on my realization of a few things, I had to move things around. You see, I had .. well, wait. You’ll see.

Avenging Druid was one of those hidden gems of Exodus. I won’t go into is as Tynion already did earlier this week. I wish say that you get his effect if you deal ‘damage’ to an opponent. Note that the card doesn’t say combat damage. And thus, Arcane Teachings or any other card that grants the pinging ability is a wonderful combo with this particular druid.

#6 -- Joiner Adept
Have you ever noticed that when there is a card you really, really want and that you want four or more of and you go out an buy a case, you only get 2 or 3? This was my case with the Adept. But that’s not my point. My point is that THIS is a great card.

First, she’s a 2/1 for 1G. That’s a good start. Add to that an uber powerful ability that could make Sunburst a viable deck and Joined Adept is amazing. You see, while in play she makes all of your lands a City of Brass without the pain. All for 1G. How could a card like this not be in the top 10? Well, originally I had her at #3 until I realized something. You’ll see. In the meantime, let’s look at a deck:

Not perfect, but I think the above deck shows off the Adept.

#5 -- Groundskeeper
Groundskeeper was one of those cards I ooh’d and aah’d when it was originally printed in Mercadian Masques. It was a card I knew would find it’s way into my Seismic Assault deck. I was also a great card against Land Destruction or in combination with Armageddon (not that we’ll ever see that card printed again).

Anyway, Groundskeeper is mainly a combo card. This is the predecessor of Crucible of Worlds (sort of). You can use it’s ability multiple times in a turn and it is a 1/1 for only one green mana. It’s quick. It’s efficient. It’s combo-licious.

I would highly encourage you to check out Seismic Searching and/or Hungry Sleepy Bubbly Ants if you want to see Groundskeeper in action.

#4 -- Yavimaya Elder
If you ask me, this card should have been rare.

The card advantage this one card nets you is amazing and I believe this card was also (and may still be) popular in the tournament scenes. It’s a 2/1 for 1GG that you can essentially ‘cycle’. That is, sacrifice it and pay 2 to draw a card. BUT! When it goes into the graveyard you may search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. So essentially, you’ll net three cards.

I’ll be honest to say that I’ve put the Elder in almost all of my green decks at some point in time. The card is just that good. It’s kind of funny if you type in (with quotations) “4 Yavimaya Elder” in Google. You get 1,740 results. Apparently I’m not the only one to like the card. In the poll on the front page, as of Thursday evening, he received 18% of the votes. That’s not to bad up against the other cards in the poll (mentioned earlier).

#3 -- Hermit Druid
Ah. Hermit Druid at last. Would you believe he was originally number one on the list? Given his combo potential and power, I originally thought he was the best spot for number one. However, this was all based on tournament experience (not mine personally). It wasn’t based on casual experience, which is what Magic Deck Vortex is all about.

To quote Mark Gottlieb about Hermit Druid:

In the Extended tournament environment, there used to exist a deck called Angry Hermit II that let you dump your entire library into your graveyard in one shot via Hermit Druid. (That let you Reanimate a very large, hasty, tramply Sutured Ghoul.) Then Hermit Druid was banned.

Then Hermit Druid was banned. A card getting banned is a good sign of it’s power level. Hermit Druid is good. It’s really good in the right combo deck. It took a while for the card to be realized but it was still loved by casual players for the time in between it being published and the Sutured Decks you tournament goers dreadfully recall. Just for grins, here’s a Sutured deck from Extended during it’s reign:

Can you figure out how the deck worked? If not, you could always check out this link. It’s a bit outdated, but it should explain the basic concept of the deck.

#2 -- Llanowar Elves
Would you believe that I had this at number 7 before I made the last minute changes? No? Well, I did. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Llanowar Elves is one of the best-known staples in magic. What Magic player hasn’t picked up a few copies of the Llanowar Elves and played with it at some point in their Magic experience (or career)? Llanowar Elves are first turn acceleration, they are Elf, they are Druid, they are a 1/1 for G. They are common! They are the creature version of Wild Growth.

These elves would be in the same ranks as Verduran Enchantress had WotC not removed them from Eighth edition.. of course, wasn’t that a player decision? Meh. They were originally printed in Alpha but then, removed. Why or why? There are now only a handful of cards that have been in every core set since Alpha and the Elves are no longer on that list. [cry]

Also, the elves wouldn’t be a druid had they not been reprinted in Ninth Edition as so. That’s an interested factoid to know. And I must add that the new art and flavor text are amazing -- absolutely amazing. I am glad they gave this creature the upgrade it needed after 11+ years.

I would post a deck link or two using 4 of these guys, except a large percentage of decks on MDV have them in it. Using Google to search for “4 Llanowar Elves” it comes up with 23,400 results. That alone should deserve the elves at number two on this list. Interesting also is that they have about 26% of the votes in the MDV druid poll.

#1 -- Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
The last legendary druid and at the number one slot. Would you have guessed it? When I posted the poll for the Druids last Sunday I also cast the first vote. What was my vote?

It was Kamahl.

Despite that, as mentioned previously, I had him at number two. Hermit Druid had the number one Druid slot (mostly because of the swaying words of Tynion) until I came to my senses (my own revelation).

You see, Kamahl embodies that of which a casual player wants. Power. Efficiency. Glamour. Coolness. Kamahl has all of these things. And more. And this whole Druid Week thing on Magic Deck Vortex is a theme week with the approach of a casual site. Not a corporate entity. Not a strategy site focused on tournament playing that posts an occasional casual article just to please the masses. This is a Casual Druid Week. That’s why I changed my mind to Kamahl being number one while writing this article.

Here’s a the brief story of Kamahl as provided on www.wizards.com:

Kamahl started out as a kick-ass barbarian whose only goal was to be a champion in the pit fights. But, he was sidetracked from that goal, and eventually found himself in the Krosan forest speaking to Thriss, leader of the Nantuko. The ancient mantis-man set Kamahl on a path leading from anger to inner calm, and after communing with the forest for some time; Kamahl the barbarian was reborn as Kamahl the druid.

Hmmm. I’m sure most of you knew this already, but it’s good to post anyway. This guy used to be a bloodthirsty barbarian. Now he’s a land-animating druid with the ability to overrun his opponent multiple times in a turn. That’s cool.

The art is amazing. The concept is inspiring. I have to tip my hat to Wizards for creating this guy. While you most likely have never seen this version of Kamahl at a standard tournament when it was legal, I’m sure you saw much of this guy while playing casually at home with friends.

With that I conclude this long top twenty druid listing.

I hope you enjoyed this top 20 list of Druids. I must apologize but due to time limitations, I was unable to post the honorable mentions. I will post those tomorrow. Plus, I think the article is too long to go any more. I would assume most of you just scrolled down to see the top three and skipped the rest. Oh well, right?

Thanks for visiting Magic Deck Vortex during druid week. Be sure to send me your comments about the week. More content will follow on Saturday given that I still have some articles and combos to post.

~Streetz~

You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here.

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