Battle for Zendikar received a lukewarm response from the community, but that’s mostly because the cards are difficult to evaluate. With most of the cards’ power level tied to synergy, how good they are is directly related to the cards around them.
In order to figure out whether the synergy-based cards are good enough to be playing, we need to play with the cards! Thankfully, ManuS has done some of the groundwork for us. He recently went 3-1 in a Daily Event with a Grixis deck based on the Devoid mechanic.
The payoffs for Devoid are mostly Processor Assault, Ghostfire Blade, and Blight Herder. Ulamog’s Nullifier does a fine Mystic Snake impression as well. In order for those cards to be good, we need our opponents to have cards in exile at all times, as Blight Herder isn’t exactly a playable card if you can’t Process. Aside from the payoffs, the deck is playing some mopey-looking enablers like Mist Intruder, but with Ruination Guide and Ghostfire Blade, you’re presenting some serious beatdowns.
While registering Storm Crow may not excite you, a deck is more than the sum of its parts. Is this deck good enough for Standard? Time will tell.
Creatures (25)
- 4 Hangarback Walker
- 4 Mist Intruder
- 3 Blight Herder
- 2 Ulamog's Nullifier
- 4 Herald of Kozilek
- 4 Ruination Guide
- 4 Salvage Drone
Lands (23)
Spells (12)
