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Warden of the First Tree

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Warden of the First Tree

I have seen a lot of mixed reviews online. Durdles have said "I need a playset" and the good (condescending) people over at /r/spikes have said "Seems like a really bad Figure of Destiny" and maybe they're both right. Can't this be terrible and appealing to durdles? Let's look at what it actually does.

It comes down as a 1/1 on 1 sometimes, and can be a Watchwolf on turn 2 at the cost of having a second creature. I'm not super impressed so far. For 4 more it becomes a 3/3 Trampler with Lifelink. 6 more mana puts it over the top and makes it a 8/8, briefly, before someone casts Hero's Downfall on it.

Yes, I realize "It dies to removal" is a facile argument, but in the context of the other things that Abzan-colored decks are trying to do, isn't what it takes to make a creature a 8/8 with no hexproof sort of relevant? Until something changes, Abzan decks are on the Whip of Eerebos plan and this is bad on that plan. Abzan aggro is a thing lately but unless you dump your hand super fast, there is likely something better to do with your mana.

Could this be the last weenie a Soldier of the Pantheon, Fleecemane Lion etc deck needs? A 3/3 Trample, Lifelink is formidable. But spending all turn every turn to get this guy there could be too onerous. This is a $10 preorder and I think this likely ends up around $5 based on what Abzan is going now and the format's reluctance to play small creatures that you can't summon unless you tap a Mountain. The ceiling for this could be as high as $20 if the metagame shifts, though, so if you're betting, you're betting big.

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Jason Alt

Jason Alt is a value trader and writer. He is Quiet Speculation's self-appointed web content archivist and co-captain of the interdepartmental dodgeball team. He enjoys craft microbrews and doing things ironically. You may have seen him at magic events; he wears black t-shirts and has a beard and a backpack so he's pretty easy to spot. You can hear him as co-host on the Brainstorm Brewery podcast or catch his articles on Gatheringmagic.com. He is also the Community Manager at BrainstormBrewery.com and writes the odd article there, too. Follow him on Twitter @JasonEAlt unless you don't like having your mind blown.

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One thought on “Warden of the First Tree

  1. ^ mana puts it up to an 8/8, not 9/9. Also, I think its worth noting this this can put 5 counter on it repeatedly, so its not just level up and not figure of destiny either.

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