Hello! Welcome to my set review of Commander Masters, where I will pick five cards of each colour and discuss my favourite cards from them. Yes, there will be and artifact and lands review as well as a multicoloured review.
This is also a reprint set which means that this is mostly going to be picking cards for what they’ve already shown they can do. The monetary value of the cards is nice, but will not likely be the biggest factor in my selections. Because they’re reprints, we know that the cost might course correct and some cards will only be lower for a little bit, so be sure to snap up singles at threekingsloot.com.
Without further ado, here are my favourite Green cards! Much like red, there were a lot of cards I’d love to include in the top five, but I wanted some variety and maybe talk about some cards you may not see so often.
That said, I will begin with one of the most famous green Magic cards ever printed. It’s so impactful, I’ve mentioned it in most of the previous articles in this series of reviews.
Ever since Avacyn Restored, Hoof has been a menace. That said, Craterhoof Behemoth does one thing exceptionally well and that is ending games. When Craterhoof enters the battlefield filled with creatures, unless a Fog has been played, most players start extending their hands for a handshake and a good game.
Hoof is perpetually expensive. There are printings that dip it’s value for a tiny bit, but then eventually it goes back up. Really keep your eye on this one at mtgstocks.com to find the right time to buy, because you will need to buy one if you ever build a green deck. I promise!
Speaking of green staples, The Great Henge was a $90 card before being reprinted in the LOTR set. It’s going to be back up there in a few years unless it’s reprinted again. TGH comes down way sooner than turn nine. It helps you cast more creatures so you can draw more cards. It also provides you with +1/+1 counters to remove in your Tayam, Luminous Enigma decks.
The Great Henge is incredible in any deck that has enough nontoken creatures to enter the battlefield, whether that’s from casting, reanimating, or blinking. Your hand will be full!
If you love attacking and you are in green, there’s no reason not to slam Ohran Frostfang into your deck. Think of it: Toski, Bearer of Secrets is played so much because of this effect. He’s also indestructible which is huge, but a lot of attacks don’t get through because there’s nothing disincentivizing blocking. Enter Ohran Frostfang, granting deathtouch to your entire attacking board, meaning your opponents either let you draw a card or lose their creature.
I’ve mentioned my Grand Warlord Radha deck before and when I tell you cards like this make the deck hum, I mean it ROARS when something like Frostfang is hanging out.
Azusa is, frankly, absurd. Being able to play three lands a turn is absolutely messed up. Obviously, this belongs in a landfall deck, but I would urge anybody with green in their commander’s identity to play Azusa for the simple fact that if you play Azusa and you have card draw going (you are in green, after all), you can have a silly curve.
Play Azusa on turn three and enough lands in hand, you’re up to five. Next turn takes you to eight lands in play with and that can make a world of different in a deck like Damia, Sage of Stone or Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty or Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood + partner.
I have been waiting for another reprint as an excuse to test Azusa in my Mike, the Dungeon Master and Will the Wise deck and I bet that it’ll be amazing.
Tutoring a creature to play is inherently powerful. Green Sun’s Zenith does it for green creatures and basically acts like any creature in your deck.
Finale of Devastation lets you search your library AND your graveyard to get any kind of creature into play. And to boot, if you paid 10 or more into X, you get a board wipe pump effect and haste to hopefully put the nail in the coffin of the game. Hell, you’re probably going to go find Craterhoof Behemoth if I had to guess! Go and get it from your graveyard from when it got countered last turn, why don’t ya!
This card is very powerful and a reprint is well worth it and welcome.
Honourable Mentions
- Arachnogenesis – Reprinted just in time for your Shelob, Child of Ungoliant decks to have already bought a copy or maybe to finally get a copy.
- Doubling Season – A true staple of the format. A bit of a win more card, but Doubling Season is Parallel Lives/Mondrak, Glory Dominus/Anointed Procession with extra counters stapled onto it. It’s also scary so be ready for it to be removed or not even get resolved.
- Heroic Intervention – Speaking of protecting your Doubling Season. Heroic Intervention is a necessity when playing green. Unless you don’t mind stuff dying, Heroic Intervention is board wipe repellent.
- Kodama’s Reach – A classic ramp spell that sometimes hits $2. Get your copies if you don’t already have them.
- Obscuring Haze – This cycle was (audience joins in:) A MISTAKE! It also is a ONE-SIDED Fog effect. This can be absolutely devastating if an opponent was banking on combat.
- Regal Behemoth – I personally would run Mana Reflection or Mirari’s Wake, but introducing the monarch is pretty sweet.
- Sakiko, Mother of Summer – It’s about time we saw this card again. Sakiko has always been really cool and rewards you with mana based on the amount of damage done. Grand Warlord Radha is pleased!
- Selvala, Heart of the Wilds – One of the best mana dorks of all time. Yes, she requires a tall creature, but green has a lot of those. I almost forget she has card draw on her.
- Skyshroud Claim – One of the best ramp spells ever. The new art is nice, but I will always love the Mercadian Masques art because it is burned into my brain.
- Song of the Dryads – This card was excellent removal, but where it shines is as a tool to enchant one of your permanents so it dodges removal or is now eligible for combos it wasn’t previously like with Deserted Temple, for example.
- Stonehoof Chieftain – A bonkers top end piece but Hoof is better for sure.
- Tooth and Nail – Hey! Remember Tooth and Nail? Get your two card combo and end the game already!
- Wayward Swordtooth – Landfall decks have lamented this becoming a $10 card in the last years and it’s very nice to know it won’t be up there anymore.
That does it for Green! Tune in next time for Colourless/Artifact/Lands!
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