Let's start with Green. I'm a big fan of Green both before and after the release of DKA, and I've been really impressed with some of these cards. Lets look at the cards from DKA, that could be good P1p1's as starting points, and what deck they fit best. Of course we need to remember a few items: 1- You may end up straying from your first pick. 2- Your 2nd pick may end up even stronger and sway your archetype choice more than your first, etc. 3- Obviously most P1p1 cards are great in many decks (which is why we P1p1 it) but i want to look at where its best, and why, and how to draft around it.
Commons first!
Scorned VillagerThis guy seems to be extremely underrated at my LGS, perhaps I"m the one overrating him, but this guy is pretty spectacular in my opinion. This guy is certainly not the most exciting P1p1, but I wouldn't be terribly unhappy with him either. Short cutting to 4-drops on turn 3 is always nice, but what about 5 drops? Holy cow. Dropping him on Turn 2, and watching your opponent cringe as they can't play a 2 drop. You'll get to bash for 2 with Vigilance, and slam down a 5 drop on turn 3 (Hallowhenge Beast Turn 3? Yes Please). Pretty backbreaking. This guy is going to be best in a G/R deck, either with a werewolf focus, or with just a ramp/fatty (Dino's) focus. He's also pretty solid in a G/W humans build as he is a Human when cast like all the other werewolves, and gives you some acceleration. This guy's over all utility is solid enough that he's playable in any green deck, but those are the two decks that would love him the most. You'll probably see me leaning towards a G/R Dino's deck a lot in the Green section, because I think it's very strong, and able to outclass your opponents creatures fast with some amazing 4,5 and 6 drops. The more of this guy you can find (along with Dawntreader Elk) the more you should prioritize 4 drops (and up). Consistently slamming down huge guys from turn 3 on is how this deck wins.
1G
Creature — Human Werewolf
(1/1)
{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Scorned Villager.
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Name: Moonscarred Werewolf
Creature — Werewolf
(2/2)
Vigilance
{T}: Add {G}{G} to your mana pool.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Moonscarred Werewolf.
Dawntreader Elk
1G
Creature — Elk
{G}, Sacrifice Dawntreader Elk: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
Like the Scorned Villager, I'm not going to be writing home to my mother about first picking a Dawntreader Elk, but I could see it happening. Elk is also pretty amazing in the R/G Dino's deck I mentioned above, because he always beats for 2, and he's able to ramp you and fix your mana. In the Dino's deck, he can't curve you into a 4 drop on turn 3 but he can get you to 5 on turn 4, which means he's not quite as good as the villager in that deck. Ideally you'd have some combination of the two. I think he fits better in G/U (and when I say G/U that can be with or without the self-mill sub-theme) or G/B. Getting him into your yard as part of his ramp ability is pretty relevant in a G/U self mill deck due to things like Gnaw to the Bone or Zombies that require exiling creatures from your Graveyard. He's awesome in G/B also because he gives you a cheap Morbid Trigger, and helps you fill the awkwardness that is a G/B manabase that often has heavy double color requirements in both colors. This guy is solid in any green deck also, but if you're first picking him, I'd be hoping to table a sweet card to compliment him in one of those two decks.
Young Wolf
G
Creature — Wolf
(1/1)
Undying
A pack would have to look pretty ugly to first pick this guy, but he really is a fine duder. He's especially great in G/W aggro, just be cautious with your Travel Preps in combination with Undying guys... NONBO. Still this guy is pretty good all around in any deck that can reliably cast him on T1, but if I were to P1p1 this guy, I'd be willing to shift away from it if needed. The good news is, he was the best green card in your pack, its likely you're not sending many signals to your neighbor that will cause issues. While he shines most in an aggro deck, he'll be just okay in a slower clunkier deck (like Dino's) because he can block twice and usually take out an attacker at least one of those times. This guy has promise in constructed, but is just OK in limited, and sometimes just OK is the best choice as your First pick. Hopefully not often.
Kessig RecluseThis is another awesome green creature at common. 2/3 was the 'magic' P/T in Triple Innistrad both to combat the aggro decks, and to break the mirrors. Giving this guy reach is enough for me to want to play him, but deathtouch pushes him in to "Very Good". Like the other common green creatures, he's not an exciting P1p1, but I don't doubt I'll do it at least a few times this season. He fits well in pretty much any green archetype, and nothing about him screams that he should be in any of them over any other, but I like him least in G/W. Costing 4 is too much for a 2/3, when your other options are lifelinkers that make tokens, or something a bit more aggressive. He's great against the G/W deck, and you'll likely run him in G/W too, just not quite as excited. When you do take him early, you've committed fairly heavily to green, so that being said, I think he fits better in a Dino/Ramp strategy, but when you swoop these guys up later they slot cleanly into any green deck.
2GG
Creature — Spider
(2/3)
Reach
Deathtouch
That's the list of commons I could see going P1p1, not that impressive, ones' that didn't make the list are Wild Hunger, Ulvenwald Bears, Somberwald Dryad, Clinging mists, and Hallowhenge Beast. All of these creatures are fine once you're in green, and do about what you'd expect of them. The beast moves up the list quickly once you have a couple ramp spells, as a 5/5 for 5 is pretty awesome (and I've noticed he goes extremely late). Wild Hunger is a fine card in G/R Dino's as it gives your fatties some reach through blockers, and game-ending power in the long game. clinging mists is mostly unplayable, although I saw someone try it in a chalice of life deck, that may or may not have merit as I haven't had a chance to try it myself.
On to the Uncommons!
Briarpack AlphaNow THAT'S a card! This guy is pretty much a windmill slam to me, over most of the non-rares in the set, and is likely the reason I moved in on Green in any given pack. I can't think of a Green deck that wouldn't absolutely love this guy, and there's even some non-green decks that might want to splash it. (Maybe a u/w spirits deck?) I think you can just confidently take this guy and be willing to splash him if need be, with out too much concern as to how it affects the rest of your picks. I will say he tends to be more of a blowout as a combat trick when blocking setting up a crackback, which means I like him in least in G/W as you tend to do very little blocking. But that doesn't mean he's not good there. He's still a hill giant that can mess up combat when you attack, so he's a auto-include, but he has the least value there (which is still a lot!). I'm not familiar enough with the set to say it with 100% confidence, but thus far, most impressive Uncommon in the set to me.
3G
Creature — Wolf
(3/3)
Flash
When Briarpack Alpha enters the battlefield, target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Gravetiller Wurm
5G
Creature — Wurm
(4/4)
Trample
Morbid — Gravetiller Wurm enters the battlefield with four +1/+1 counters on it if a creature died this turn.
No question this guy is enormous. Not the most exciting P1p1, but not bad either. This guy shoots way up your priorities once you're firmly in a slower deck. Top notch finisher, and pretty difficult to deal with. (Now is as good of a time to note as any, that I think Smite the Monstrous has gotten a bit better). I'd run as many as 2 of these guys if i had a decent amount of ramp, which means he's actually pretty good in G/U, with an additional ramp spell available (Deranged Assistant). While I don't have much to say about this guy, he's pretty damned strong. Just be mindful of your curve. Some decks love 6 drops, some hate them.
ImmerwolfNow this is an interesting card. It's pretty darned terrible without at least 5-6 tribal creatures. Intimidate is not that great when he's two colors, but, I see myself first picking this guy more often than some of the other lords. In a non-MTGO draft, you'll have an opportunity to inspect the flip cards coming your way, and if I see Scorned Villagers or Lambholt Elders coming your way, I'd snap slam this guy and force the tribe. Maybe the format is too young, and I'm valuing this wrong, but I like that strategy. Keep in mind other wolves get pumped by him, and there's a ton of good ones. Again, he's really not that amazing if you don't get the critical mass of wolves/werewolves so don't get too attached/excited.
1RG
Creature — Wolf
(2/2)
Intimidate Other Wolf and Werewolf creatures you control get +1/+1.
Non-Human Werewolves you control can't transform.
Now, I'm still on the fence about this one. I've had a chance to play her, and she was awesome in a G/r/b ramp deck. She was one of my many beefy dudes, and when you have even beefier dudes to back her up it means you're either getting through with the big guys while they block her, or they chump the big guys and you draw cards. Also, I think it fits the same curve as ramp decks. It's like ramping into a 4/5 that can attack on turn 5. Cast turn 3, skip turn turn 4, and bash. After taking one of these, cards like Artful Dodge and Wild Hunger get better, so I like it in G/R and G/U, but i'm still not so sure how great it is, as a 1/2 for 3 is about as underwhelming as it gets.
Lambholt Elder
2G
Creature — Human Werewolf
(1/2)
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Lambholt Elder.
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Silverpelt Werewolf
Creature — Werewolf
(4/5)
Whenever Silverpelt Werewolf deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Silverpelt Werewolf.
Strangleroot GeistThis guy's only draw back is his mana cost, as GG is kind of awkward on T2, unless you're in a heavier green deck, which tends to mean G/R, G/U (seeing the theme here yet?) He's still a great man in either a Aggro or Blocking deck, as he gets to fill both roles twice, or even block an X/2 then swing for 3 next turn filling both roles. I'm a fan of this guy. I don't know if theres a U/G spirit deck that appears that includes this guy and orchard spirit enjoying pumps from a battleground geist or a splashed Drogskol Captain. I think he's pretty tough to P1p1 in general, but he's still a pretty early pick once you solidfy in Green.
GG
Creature — Spirit
(2/1)
Haste
Undying
Village SurvivorsThere was a time not too long ago, when you couldn't have talked me out of a 4/5 for 5 in this format, especially one with vigilance that can both attack and block. But the 5 slot is getting pretty clogged up, and all the options are amazing. This guy is very good at what he does, I just don't know that he's any better than the Hallowhenge beast really. The Fateful hour bonus is nice, and lends him to a slower ramp style deck also. Take some beatings while you set up, and then slam this down, and each turn your fatties become giant attackign walls. That being said, he's easy to cast, and a Human, which is fairly relevant (both good and bad) and i'm happy to play him, just not really seeing a scenario where I'd take him P1p1, especially when there are many commons in green i prefer.
4G
Creature — Human
(4/5)
Vigilance
Fateful hour — As long as you have 5 or less life, other creatures you control have vigilance.
Thanks for tuning in to my Green Review. I chose not to elaborate much on the Rares for a couple reasons, 1) The good ones are obviously good, and very few are narrow enough to need much elaboration of what makes them shine more than other decks.
and
2) I typically suggest playing with Rares as much as possible early one, so you understand their interactions as much as possible. That likely would sway my personal ratings a bit to much to be helpful this early in the season.
I'm still realy trying to find a good way to communicate all the thoughts I have on the format in a way that is helpful, organized and interesting. The current plan is to finish the color wheel in this fashion, and then go back through the archetypes once we've had a chance to play them a bit more and define what an ideal build might look like, and how to salvage decks that didn't quite get there.
Please, please, if you have any interest in these at all, give me some feedback about what worked for you and what didn't. I've been swimming in dark ascension for a week, so i felt i was getting a bit repetetive about G/R and G/U, but that's how I feel about those archetypes right now. It could also be that i played so much G/W in Triple Innistrad that I'm anxious to try other things. In either case, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more next week!
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