>>> Zendikar <<< >>> The Expedition <<< *Welcome, Planeswalker.* *Embark on an adventure across the mana-rich plane of Zendikar. The Sky-Claves have risen, laying bare the secrets of the Ancient Kor. The Sea-Gate Expedition House are looking for fearless explorers who share our passion of discovering the distant past.* *But Zendikar is a dangerous plan. Behemoths roam the shifting landscape; horrors spill out from the returned Sky-Claves; and the shadow of the vanquished Eldrazi still taints our home.* *So choose your allies well, for the road is treacherous. Keep those buckles tight and watch your tread - Zendikar rewards the wise and punishes the reckless. Make a name for yourself, Planeswalker, and lead the expedition of a lifetime.* - Ilori, Sea-Gate Expedition House Leader --- Welcome to the Zendikar: The Expedition cube. This is a love-letter to the plane of Zendikar and the many threats it has overcome over the years. The set is designed to be drafted traditionally, or to be played in a limited format. Each pack contains 10 commons, 3 uncommons, 1 rare/mythic, and 1 non-basic land. There are ten dual colour archetypes, detailed below - but don't be afraid to mix and match and experiment new combinations! --- >>> The Archetypes <<< >>> {G}{W} - Landfall <<< >>> [[!Murasa Rootgrazer]] <<< A mid-range style of play, Green/White can afford to take a few hits early as they set up their landfall creatures that can turn the tide of battle back in their favour. Prioritise land-fetching effects, and don't underestimate how much life you can gain off a couple of [[Kazandu Nectarpot]]s! >>> {W}{U} - Awaken <<< >>> [[!Roil Spout]] <<< Control the game with cheap spells - [[Rush of Ice]] and [[Sheer Drop]] to keep your opponents on the back foot - and then late game, upgrade those spells to animate your lands. Keep an eye out for manlands, and don't worry if your pool looks creature-lite. [[Wall of Omens]] and other high-toughness creatures can keep the pressure off until you can cast your game-ending Awaken spells. >>> {U}{B} - Eldrazi Control <<< >>> [[!Ulamog's Nullifier]] <<< Use cheap Eldrazi creatures to Ingest your opponents' cards into exile, and then Process them for benefit. This is a hard deck to pilot, but when it comes together, it really embodies the hopelessness the Eldrazi represent. Counterspells and killspells are your friends - but make sure you draft a couple of good finishers so you don't just durdle your way into a loss. >>> {B}{R} - Eldrazi Aggro <<< >>> [[!Flayer Drone]] <<< Pick instants like [[Altar's Reap]] and [[Virulent Swipe]] and then lead a suicide charge that will make your enemies second guess every combat phase. [[Molten Nursery]] and all the devoid cards will do great work at messing with combat calculations and keeping the board clear of 1 toughness creatures that might hinder your rampage! >>> {R}{G} - Elementals <<< >>> [[!Creeping Trailblazer]] <<< A really flexible archetype that borrows aspects of others. If [[Risen Reef]] shows up, splash blue and then cram the deck filled with Elementals. Otherwise, lands-matter is a viable direction for this colour combo. Don't sleep on [[Murasa Behemoth]] and the various ways to put a land in the graveyard. >>> {G}{U} - Tempo <<< >>> [[!Risen Reef]] <<< Don't be afraid to add a third colour in white or red to support this tribe. With the fixing and card draw, hitting your third splashable colour isn't too tricky. An elemental tribal deck can work really in this colour pairing, but really you want efficient creatures that keep your hand topped up and your land drops flowing. >>> {U}{R} - Eldrazi Tricks <<< >>> [[!Herald of Kozilek]] <<< A little less oppressive than the Blue/Black control deck, this combination lets you have more presence in combat. A well timed [[Turn Against]] can end games, and the various 'colorless matters' effects can make your enemies second guess themselves constantly. It's an incredibly fun deck to play. >>> {R}{W} - Voltron <<< >>> [[!Nahiri, Storm of Stone]] <<< This archetype isn't as overtly supported, and this means it's often left wide-open - scoop up all the equipment and auras you find and use Totem Armor to attack into enemy lines. Don't be afraid to splash blue for [[Eel Umbra]] - it's a combat trick and a negate for the inevitable kill spells that you Voltron'd lad will attract. >>> {W}{B} - Life Gain <<< >>> [[!Cliffhaven Vampire]] <<< Another archetype that incidentally comes together - gain life to drain life. The lifegain lets you hold out against faster aggro decks. Prioritise picking kill spells to make sure that you don't get unmade by one big threat. Otherwise, leech the opposition's life-force! >>> {B}{G} - Counters <<< >>> [[!Moss-Pit Skeleton]] <<< This deck builds itself, but don't sleep on Awaken cards that enjoy the benefits conferred by your 'Counters Tribal' cards. [[Nissa's Judgment]] is a mythic rare in this deck..!