With each new format come new interactions and tricks. Today, I’m going to tell you about the tricks and combos I’ve so far experimented with in Rise of the Eldrazi draft.
Ogre’s Cleaver plus Eldrazi Spawn (and versus Kor-line Slinger)
Ogre’s Cleaver may seem pretty bad, but the card is definitely playable in a deck which produces lots of spawn tokens. Also, if you happen to face decks running several copies of the 0/1 tapper, or simply a deck running Domestication, you’ll have an expensive but efficient way to prevent them gaining advantage.
Totem-Guide Hartebeest plus Narcolepsy / Guard Duty
I doubt anyone has missed this one, but if you can get enough of the two enchantments to always be able to fetch one, the 2/5 becomes a mini Duplicant. In this instance, think to pick the 2/5 high when you’re UW in the early draft, and keep in mind to pick each part of the combo higher once you’ve found one of them.
Domestication versus Pump Spell
Whenever your opponent is running the Control Magic style spell, it’s good to have answers in the sideboard, which will usually be Umbras. Then you will get hit once, but at least you’ll get your guy back pretty soon. If you simply play Prey’s Vengeance or Eel Umbra, you might not even have to wait for long.
Soulbound Guardians plus Warmonger’s Chariot
This combo is as simple to gather as it is efficient. Both cards may be uncommons, but they are still rarely in most people’s first six choices so you should get them passed in most drafts. Also, when you are White, there is another great reason to pick the chariot highly…
Guard Duty versus Warmonger’s Chariot
The best answer to the new Kirtar’s Desire is not Emerge Unscathed but Warmonger’s Chariot, as the removal doesn’t say the creature can’t attack, but that it gains defender. It may not make a difference 99.99% of the time, but Warmonger’s Chariot is that 0.01%. Even in a deck in which you don’t want to play it, you will use it as a good sideboard card versus White decks.
Also – and this is very probably never happening a second time, but just in case – the other day I played Guard Duty on one of my guys in order to gain one mana each from my two Overgrown Battlements in order to get enough mana to cast Ulamog.
Bala Ged Scorpion plus Shrivel / Induce Despair
If Shrivel or Induce Despair are not enough to kill an opponent’s guy, keep in mind you can still kill it with Bala Ged Scorpion as long as you can get its power to 0 or 1. This way, Induce Despair, Bala Ged Scorpion, and seven lands are enough to kill Sphinx of Magosi.
Distortion Strike plus Valakut Fireboar / Kiln Fiend
These are cards you should always try and get in the same deck. The first combo deals 14 damage if the opponent doesn’t have an answer, while the second deals 10, assuming the doesn’t have a removal in two turns.
Goblin Tunneler plus Valakut Fireboar / Kiln Fiend / Battle-Rattle Shaman
Once again, these are cards you should try and get in the same 40-card deck. The good thing about these cards is that no one wants them early in the draft, so they should be rather easy to assemble during a draft game. Pay attention not to pump Valakut Fireboar’s power alone, though, as once its power and toughness are reversed, you would pump its toughness. For instance, if you play Virulent Swipe on the Boar, no matter if you do it before or after its triggered ability has resolved, it will make it a 7/3. Well, it can actually be useful, but just make sure you do it on purpose!
Reality Spasm versus Dawnglare Invoker
No matter what you play, you should always have an answer to Dawnglare Invoker, as you will rarely go through three rounds without facing the dangerous 2/1 at least once. Of course, it’s better to have removal, but if you are UW or UG, this is a luxury you won’t necessarily be able to afford. A card like Reality Spasm can be useful, as it can help you win a race, and because it will immobilize some of your opponent’s precious eight mana to allow you to deal the final blow. [And you can simply untap your guys to attack after they’re tapped down, of course — Craig.]
Mnemonic Wall plus Splinter Twin
Splinter Twin is not very good in most decks. However, if you get the possibility to pick it in the early draft, you should go for it and make combos. Of all the easy combos to make, all the guys who make Spawn tokens are obviously good, but Mnemonic Wall must be the best as it helps you win very quickly.
Crab Umbra versus Narcolepsy
Of course, the card is not good enough to make it to the maindeck 99% of the time, but Crab Umbra can be very useful post board when your opponent can hardly deal with your top guys without the aura. If you happen to have at least one other combo in the deck (Kor-line Slinger, Brimstone Mage), it actually gets pretty good.
Gravitational Shift plus Frostwind Invoker
The enchantment may be bad in most decks, but it becomes very efficient when you have lots of flyers and when you face decks which don’t. It is at least a good sideboard card, mostly again RB decks, and in combination with Frostwind Invoker should be auto GG.
Affa Guar Hound versus Vendetta
The dog is pretty good against Red and Black removal in general, but it can also deal a lot of damage to an opponent if you play it in response to Vendetta.
Magmaw / Bloodthrone Vampire plus Pawn of Ulamog / Traitorous Instinct / two Cadaver Imp / Domestication on big guy
That’s a lot of combos in one, but to make it simple, play one of the two guys that allow you to sacrifice, and the more of the other cards you can get, the better! Double Imp in particular will provide you with a never-dying 1/1, as well as infinite fodder for the sacrificial guys.
As far as dealing with a big guy thanks to Domestication, I encountered an unlikely configuration of events the other day, but I’ll still share it in case it ever happens to you (and because it’s cool, obviously). My opponent played Drana and I stole it with Domestication. I then played Shrivel to make it 3/3 and not have to turn it back right away. On the following turn, I was able to attack for four and activate the vampire on itself.
Traitorous Instinct plus your own guy
Keep in mind that even though Ray of Command-type spells are made to be played on your opponent’s guys, they can also be played on yours so you can race faster. You can also swing and untap your guy in the second main for very close races.
Traitorous Instinct versus Eldrazi (the big guys, not the tokens)
If you are playing Red and choose to keep Traitorous Instinct in your sideboard, bear in mind it is almost lethal when your opponents are running Eldrazi creatures, in which case you’ll have to hold it for as long as you can and try and get rid of the potential chump blockers so the combo works.
Bramblesnap plus Merfolk Skyscout / Reality Spasm
If you have Reality Spasm, Bramblesnap, and several guys, you should often be able to win in one strike. However, if you are a bit short, the fact you can untap all your guys after blocks in order for each of them to pump your little trampler will often be decisive. Concerning the Scout, I mention Bramblesnap as a possible combo, but keep in mind to look around when you play it, as there is almost always a combo you can manufacture somewhere.
Hellion Eruption plus Eldrazi Spawns
In the early draft, or even later if you are already Green, do not pick anything over Hellion Eruption. If you do manage to get a lot of token producers, the card is an amazing bomb. I didn’t plan on naming such an obvious combo in my article, until I saw Antoine receive it in pack 1 pick 6 in a 8-4 draft on MTGO, so I just wanted to make sure everyone knows how much of a bomb this card is.
Awakening Zone plus Raid Bombardment
Or more generally Spawn producers. Raid Bombardment may seem pretty bad, but it can go from good to excellent depending on how many of the 0/1s you can generate. In case you get Awakening Zone and draw them both, you are in possession of a nearly unstoppable pick 14!
Lone Missionary / Soul’s Attendant versus Survival Cache
I’m not a huge fan of either guy, but you will consider running them when running or facing Survival Cache, a card which gives you card advantage when you make it work, but almost a mulligan when you don’t.
Any bomb plus one-mana Umbras
Any time you play a bomb you feel like will make you win instantly, try and back him up with a one-mana aura. You don’t want to run more than one in most decks, or more than one for every two game-winning cards you have, which includes obvious broken rares (Dralna, Coralhelm Commander) as well as Dawnglare Invoker.
How about you? Have you noticed more combos or cool interactions between cards in the latest sets? If so, feel free to share them in the forums!
Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
Oli