Today's theme is ramp. As theme and strategy, ramp is some of the best card advantage you can get in the game. Every time you have to the opportunity to exchange a card for a land in your deck, it's a solid opportunity that increases your chances of drawing spells you need as the game progresses. Being able to smooth out mana, and reach castability for those 6+ spells I rarely ever play is only ever going to help.
The gang and I have assembled a list of our absolute favorites, which shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Then again, anything can happen.
THIS IS THE STACK!
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
I finally arrived at the card choice that takes zero brain power for me. Hooray for easy victories!
Seriously my favorite card. I play it in almost every deck I own, and attempt to recur it multiple times. So far, my single-game record stands at 5 (Which I've gotten in two decks). It is a card that has seen a significant rise in my playgroup as a result, and would probably be my avatar if it weren't for the fact that it is already another person.
I love everything about Sad Robot/Marvin's original art too. It looks like he went and took a photo at Sears. Plus, he doesn't get mistaken for an Etched Oracle.
Obviously, playing this card is cheating, and picking it here is a little too easy because it does so much more than accelerate/thin out your deck. But there's just no other way I'm going to be convinced to settle for my second or third choice this time.
The only other thing I want to say about Solemn is that if you cast this card in a game, the chances of you winning go up dramatically. That sounds suspect, but the correlation is value, which is Solemn Freaking Simulacrum.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Yippee Ki-yay melon farmer! There are some things you just don't leave home without. Grab your keys, your phone, your wallet, and your Solemns. It's telling that UL and I both made the same argument for why these are our favorite ramp cards: playing them just makes you win. Mana sum theory suggests that the guy who has and uses more mana is most likely to win. Simple. I have also been oft-quoted as saying that the most important resource in Commander is cards, and to be ahead on cards is to be ahead in the game. The common ground between Solemn and Reach is easy to see: they advance your resources on two fronts. You get more mana to work with and a free 2-for-1. They accomplish what most cards can't even dream of at a bargain price.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Certainly a classic card in any Commander deck (any deck that wins, at least), the Simulacrum is a true multi-tasker, one that has no problem dying, especially if you can sneak in a way to revive him from the grave (like Reclaim) or bounce/flicker him. These are all things that really didn't need explanation though, because the sad robot is so ubiquitous.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Why Blue? Why not? I prefer mana acceleration that can be re-used because I've had my fair share of one-offs that didn't quite help later on in the game. Granted Harrow is probably a better way to achieve this effect because you don't have to discard a card to pay its cost, the Dreamscape Picasso's cost for his ability shouldn't bother you if you've got a full hand and ways to retrieve things from the graveyard.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I've talked at length about how I think having Spellshapers in your deck with relevant abilities can compensate for our inefficiencies. This is probably the most efficient and playable spellshaper on the market.
Because just having Harrow isn't enough, Dreamscape is at its best when you have relevant one or two-cost disruption in your hand. Forcing your opponent to have to guess what future mana you may be holding up adds a cerebral quality to the game that makes for the kinds of games I like to play. Even though this card has one ability with logical targets, it can be used in skillful ways to leverage tempo if you have other cards to play and your timing is right.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Harrow is significantly worse than this, largely because you do actually have to discard that card, the Harrow itself. This is an engine, naturally you would have to feed it something to keep it going, but unlike most mana ramp cards, this is one that actually loses effectiveness pretty quickly. You generally want more mana so that you can use the cards in your hand more quickly or more effectively than your opponent. There is an inflection point where you simply run out of junk to pitch to this and would rather cast those cards instead. The point of comparison really comes in the late game when this has expended its utility, or you draw it at an inopportune time. You had to plant this Creature down on the board just to have the privilege of buying Harrows, but when that time is over you can suit up and beat down. The same cannot be said for drawing a Rampant Growth late.
There is something to be said here about the cost structure in designing spellshapers, or really any creature with an activated ability. The best offerings in this category have a cost and body that is appropriate AND is exactly one less than the cost to activate its ability. Naturally, you will want to begin using this at your earliest opportunity or else, why play it? Historically, some important Creatures have fit this model. Rebel Searchers, and Enclave Cryptologist are fine examples.
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
I teetered back and forth...and in several other directions about what to choose. Favorite is a hard bug to catch when it comes to me and my mana. I use so many of these cards and they almost always travel in a herd. Sol Ring is obviously in every deck, but it seems to be that if one of them is going in a deck, then Cultivate, Rampant Growth, Sakura Tribe Elder, and Joraga Treespeaker are coming too. Sadly though, I don't always play Green. I have a big collection of mana rocks that I like, but it would be hard to say that they are my favorite. Sakura Tribe Elder is my favorite card, pants down. For the sake of variety though, I won't point that out again. K Reach is even more ubiquitous, but it is the card that I always want in my opening hand. If this resolves it feels tough for me to lose. Once the train gets rolling it can be hard to stop and in most games the toughest hurdle to overcome is simply amassing enough resources to start throwing haymakers.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Definitely a classic land ramp spell, the arcane version of Cultivate. I really don't have anything to say about the card except that it pays to be able to get a land on the field AND one in your hand.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I wish we'd just gotten actual Koko Baby instead of Cultivate as the reprint in M-Whatever. I prefer the hand of the Kodama doing actual reaching- it's just good flavor.
Also, I was going to say that this is one of the few Heather Hudson artworks I like, but it turns out I didn't realize she basically does all the work for Commander's most playable cards- Pongify, Chord of Calling, Sculpting Steel, original Karmic Guide and Ghost Quarter. The list goes on, and though she's definitely gotten better through the years, it's just astounding how many good cards her work got printed on.
Until next time, be sure to tell us about all your favorites in the comments below.
Pass!
-UL/VJ/GG
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