Last time we started off the series with a humdinger of a duo talking about the nullifying Mindslicer and the fresh new beats of Shah of Naar Isle. The main goal however was hopefully to enlighten people that instead of combo'ing away negative effects, it may be beneficial to just fuse them into a deck. Metaphorically speaking relying on a single card to fix another is like praying for a band-aid whenever you get cut, while deck fusion is like carrying a first aid kit with you.

This week will deal with an entirely different concept, though sometimes it may in some ways seem similar - Codependent cards.

To even start, it's important to define codependent. The opposite and easier to explain concept is Independent cards; which can be played by themselves without any help (of course except for the mana). A simple example of an independent card is Hypnotic Specter - it's a 2/2 flier for three mana, and easily playable despite requiring two black mana. Co-Dependent cards however, require another card to even be used. Some conditions are easily met, for instant Counterspell, can't be played by itself, but how often will your opponent not cast a spell? Another easy example of a co-dependent card is Faceless Butcher - since without another creature in play it simply fizzles it's ability.

The purpose today is to look at are more complex and harder to fulfill conditions of codependency. The best example I can think of is infamous and classic unplayable card - Leveler. Without another card to handle it's effect, playing Leveler point blank loses you the game. There's no if's and's or but's about it. You have to have a way to handle the effect. However there is no reason to beat a dead horse, and I won't be talking about Leveler much after this. It's simply the best example of a codependent unplayable card. If Leveler does interest you by all means check out the myriad of decks that resulted from a previous contest to design a Leveler deck.

This week we will focus on a single card and it's a card that has the standard environment up in arms deeming it either a powerhouse or pure crap - a classic sign of unplayability. Without another card this card literally is unplayable, making it a prime codependent card example. If you have no idea what I'm about talking yet and the nearby card picture isn't enough , I'll spell it out for you: Force of Savagery. That's right only three mana gets you a creature with trample and eight power, but oh yeah, the catch no toughness. Instant death. There is no other description than that to describe a lone Force of Savagery. You play it, it resolves, it dies. Hey, it's literally half of a Force of Nature, without the upkeep!

The real question is to answer with it, is how can keep it from going straight to the yard? There's many ways that work, even more than don't, so let's explore some that do and don't work. Wizards has hinted at least two easy ways to keep it alive instead of going straight to it's death - static enhancements and entering into play with +1/+1 counters. So cards like Gaea's Anthem and Chorus of the Conclave work. However cards that require the stack almost always don't; whether it is Giant Growth, an even speedier Stonewood Invocation or trying to attach equipment cards to it. Which leads me into my next two grey areas of life for the Force - can cards Ronin Warclub or Primal Forcemage allow it to enter play and stay alive - since they activate and don't require us to do anything? Well the answer is pretty much no. If it requires a stack to occur, it's too slow. It absolutely must come into play immediately with a +1/+1 counter(s) or have a static - non-triggered +1/+1 - +0/+1.

Now simply making a green/white deck with Gaea's Blessing and Glorious Anthem might be a simple easy fix, but who likes simple? Instead what I want to offer is a variation of a deck I've seen many casual players (including myself) playing - Mono-Green Aggro.

Unchecked this deck is a steamroller.

I can't speak enough about this deck. It's so highly casual and so customizable that you can take it any number of ways. Many are playing mono-green creature nuke already, this is like adding Furnace of Rath to it. Numerous three to four casting cost creatures come in and hit with Pandemonium for nukes - with Pande out two Timbermares alone is the needed 20 damage. Meanwhile utility cards like Bloodbond March, Greater Gargadon, and Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper keep things nasty and your opponent reeling.

This is a high end version of the deck and is in one of the forms I play it, but you don't have to. Swap out Browbeat for Harmonize or add in Primal Forcemages for rares you don't have - it really doesn't matter it's still just as good. There are numerous ways to play and utilize the deck, so don't feel like you have to do it a certain way - and many many ways to budget out the deck.

Now I know I sorta cheated on that guy - I just made Force of Savagery a three casting cost eight point nuke. Then again I already explained how to keep him alive, I wanted to show an entirely different option on what you could do with him. Overall I have to say, keep your finger on Force of Savagery with the next block coming out and an Elemental tribe making it's appearance, I can only imagine, how very playable it may become. Instead of harping any more, I want to leave you with the idea of what's coming next - Useless Cards.

~Cashew~

You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here.
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.

[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]

Articles Spotlights from 2007:
Lorwyn Theme Week Intro & Schedule of Events
Blink And Bounce: Timing is Key
Going Blind: XCB Metagaming - A Prolonged Conclusion.
The Science of Magic: Genetic Engineering, Part Two.
Shifting Lineaments: Casual Metagaming (Pt. 2).
The Dungeon Of Malefict: Pure Evil!
Land Week Introduction & Schedule.
Combofusion: Legends Timeshifted.
One Card to Rule Them All: Coastal Piracy
Irrational Love: Chimeras. The Lego's of Magic.