UL's Card Corner: Trade Routes

Mostly, it isn't Buster. For today though, it will be.
Cause in all color fairness, we're going to do something I haven't done yet for Card Corner.

I'm gonna talk Blue Tech.
I'm sure there are some raised eyebrows here, especially after the monocolored spectacle in the week that was.

Honestly, I never thought that Routes to Trade would be as useful still as they were in the days of yore, but they are.

Recently, I started playing Trade Routes in my Damia 45-lander I call "The Heap" because I like to use Mirror-Mad Phantasm or Hermit Druid to get Retrace spells online, namely Worm Harvest.

In there, Trade Routes is pretty much an all-star. I get to pitch land which like to be Life From the Loam targets or pieces for Worm Harvest, ultimately leading to a bunch of sweet card advantage.

But the fun with Trade Routes doesn't stop here, folks.

In fact, I think this card would pretty much be a snap-keep in most opening hands for decks that like to play 40+ lands, like I do.

It allows you to keep 6-land hands in the early game and sway the mana-flooding in the late, cause that happens to me a lot in mono-blue.

Plus, you get to say, "Look Ma! No Cantrips!" cause you don't need em. The Land does it for you now, allowing you to play more useful spells.

Like cantrips though, Trade Routes is sort of a skill-intensive card in situations where you might want to play a land in the late-late. So there's that to think about.

I'm also pretty notorious for leaving mana open at the ends of other people's turns. So if you are similar, this card can ensure that you've got something to do and not let mana go to waste.

Cause if you need to dig for an immediate answer and the table is desperate, you're probably the one people are looking to, so why not have more digging power? There are some days that Sensei's Divining Top just isn't enough.

Honestly, I think Trade Routes is supreme value in decks with 40+ land, and if you've got ways to get it back, the sky is the limit.

Most blue decks could use a card like this. Combo digs more, Control finds answers, and the blue-splashy decks prevent dead draws.

For me, this card has been pretty under-the-radar, and is by far one of my favorite new gems. I'm heavily considering adding a copy to the Linessa Blueberry Bounce-House deck as a result of the land flood problems.

Two more thoughts. I'm a huge fan of Transmute, so Muddle the Mixture is actually a pretty good card to add so that you've got "two" copies of Trade Routes.

Also, if you're looking for something similar, Compulsion is pretty similar if you want an enchantment, and Merfolk Looter if you need another creature.

Still, Trade Routes seems to be a nice give-and-take of these cards, while providing a neat little rattlesnake card for Land Destruction, if that's prevalent in your metagame.

Alright. That's it for me, for the week. Hopefully.

Tell me what you think about Trade Routes.

Pass.

-UL