It’s been almost 4 weeks since the pre-release of Zendikar. This set seemed silly to me as I patiently watched the spoiler lists populate. Landfall, what kind of keyword ability is landfall? Now after doing almost weekly drafts with friends, and playing on Friday nights at a local card shop my attitude toward this silly landfall set has changed drastically.

I’ve been playing Magic since 1994 not long after the general release of the game. Sets and blocks have come and gone, some fun some very predictable. Take the Shards block, if you aren’t playing some variant of cascade, you loose. I can’t wait till the Shards block cycles out of standard. Anyway, now that I’ve had a good amount of time drafting Zendikar, I think it’s the most fun I’ve had playing Magic in a long time.  What is most fun for me is how much strategy can be used. M10 was pretty dry, if you had the right cards you win, if not you loose. In Zendikar you don’t really need the most powerful cards to win, that is if you play your cards right (sorry bad pun)

Let me tell you a story about one such game. I made it to round 2 of the draft at a local card shop, I’m not sure how with the deck I built. My opponent was playing a pretty solid White Blue Control deck. He definitely had the board locked down with Kazandu Blademaster, Gomazoa, and Kraken Hatchling.

I was playing a Red Black aggro deck but with multiple Cancels and Spell Piercing all I had in play was a lonely Goblin Shortcutter.

My life was dwindling to a mere 7, and he wasn’t much better being at 10. After he attacked with his Blademaster it was my turn. I had a Plated Geopede, Slaughter Cry, and Teetering Peaks in my hand, and drew into a Goblin Warpaint (I told you my deck didn’t seem too good). I thought wow, I have enough mana to play the geopede, give it Goblin Warpaint (+2/+2 and Haste), and Slaughter Cry (+3/+0 and First Strike). Then with Teetering Peaks it would get +2/+2 from the landfall and I could target it with the Peaks +2/+0 enter the battlefield ability. Which would make my Plated Geopede an 10/5 First Striker, if I can bluff the Slaughter Cry and my opponent allows him to go unblocked, I’d win.

Needless to say, I won the match, it wouldn’t be a good story if my opponent chump blocked my crazy Geopede, would it?

I’ve had a few other experiences with Zendikar that really stick out, but that by far was one of the more ridiculous. The set is fun period.

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