PT KTK: Cards to Watch!

Any good writer tends to try to spend a decent chunk of time figuring out how to introduce a new article. In this case I was trying to figure out how to introduce a brand new section of MTGGoldfish.com. Needless to say I didn’t really think of anything clever or witty because if I had it would be here instead of this admission of failure.

What I can say is that it’s a great honor to have been included in the expansion of the website. MTGGoldfish has been a fantastic tool that I have used on a near daily basis for a long time now. I’m truly excited to be included in this process of bringing more quality content to the MTG community.

With that let’s get into the meat of the article.

Cards to Watch For PT Khans of Tarkir:

This list applies from both a financial perspective and from a pure competitive outlook. This is my personal list of cards that I’m really going to be keeping an eye out for when PT KTK kicks off.

#1. Doomwake Giant:

The beast is back in the metagame. If you forgot about our old friend: At the end of the Journey Into Nyx standard cycle we were just starting to see a much more focused Green/Black constellation deck make waves in the metagame. Then M15 came along with a lot of format defining cards as well as some cards that specifically hated out these pure constellation strategies, notably Back to Nature. While Back to Nature is still a card, Doomwake Giant seems significantly better after rotation when, looking beyond other green decks, standard is filled with more aggressive strategies that largely feature a card like Goblin Rabblemaster as a quick win condition if left unchecked. Taking a look at the Format Staples, Doomwake Giant has just managed to make his way to the top ten creatures in the format. In large part his success or failure may rest on the success of the Green/Black devotion deck in the pro tour which is why he’s #1 on my watch list.

#2. Hornet Queen:

I remember in the early days of M15 when many (myself included) saw a novel one-of inclusion of Hornet Queen into Green Devotion as an interesting but ultimately short term addition to the house that was Mono Green. Oh how wrong I was… She has been featured in about every green-based devotion deck in the metagame, most G/r monsters lists have her up as high as a four-of. That’s not to say four of is the right number for Hornet Queen, but her gradual growth into becoming a green staple is no coincidence. Hornet Queen defines a card that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

#3. Sidisi, Brood Tyrant:

Hopefully if you thought the first two picks were obvious then you may enjoy this pick for #3. Sidisi is probably going to define the success or failure of the Sultai delve deck. The deck itself hasn’t really seen that much success with its best finish being an 11th place finish at an SCG Open. Though if day one results were indicative of a deck’s position in the metagame for the rest of the standard cycle we wouldn’t have had any mono blue or mono black devotion. As a card I feel that it has tremendous potential upside. Not just because it’s a relatively cheap mythic, but on paper it’s a very good mythic. It has a potential to end games extremely quickly if it survives a turn. I’ve playtested games with it where I start wondering if I have a Grave Titan in play. Beyond that, Sidisi, Brood Tyrant has been trending upwards financially, starting at around $5 and now at $7.59. Being a mythic that can be built around makes this card a really interesting card to watch for PT KTK.

#4. Butcher of the Horde:

This is an oddball. Going into the format I felt that this was going to be an absurd card in combination with Goblin Rabblemaster. I felt that it was as if Wizards had printed a more frustrating version of Desecration Demon. In a lot of ways I wasn’t necessarily wrong. The card has actually shown several promising results, but I feel like there is no hype around this card. Butcher of the Horde might define a new deck, and depending on how far it goes at the pro tour, that might be a very important deck.

#5. Mantis Rider:

Alright, I think at this point everyone agrees that this is a very good card right? I hope so, because putting this card on my watch list was also my excuse to express my personal undying love for the Jeskai tempo deck. The deck has already shown some outstanding results. Mantis Rider has also done a lot of the heavy lifting in getting the deck those results. The huge question remains; Will it prove itself at the highest level? Personally I feel that it will, the reason I love the deck is because unlike many standard decks it’s constantly skill testing it’s pilot. I feel like no other deck in the format reaches that same level of skill testing. As a result I think some pros may gravitate towards that style of play. If I’m correct and they do, Mantis Rider will be the card to watch in the deck which is why it’s my #5 pick for cards to watch.

Conclusion:

A significant part of why I wanted to write this article was just to share what I’m excited about in the pro tour. I’m almost sure that I’m not right on all of these I just wanted to share what I’m excited about and why. Share what cards you’re going to keep your eyes on in the comments below!

Thanks to MTGGoldfish for giving me this opportunity, this is my first article for the MTG community so hopefully it’s not too bad, and thanks for bearing with me.

You can follow me at @MTGSnackattack on twitter if you are so inclined.