Single Card Strategies- Compilation IV (June 29th,1994)

CUOMBAJJ WITCHES	(AN)-New card combination added
UNSTABLE MUTATION	(RV)-Rules correction, several new uses added
ASHNOD'S TRANSMOGRANT   (AQ)-Several new uses added
SHANODIN DRYAD		(RV)-New card combinations added
FLASH FLOOD		(LG)-New card combinations added
BLACK WARD		(RV)-
INVISIBILITY		    -New card combinations added
DRAIN LIFE		(RV)-Several new uses added
BOOMERANG		(LG)-
GHAZBAN OGRE		(AN)-New card combination added

Single Card Strategies is sort of the property of Jeff Franzmann
(umfranzm@cc.umanitoba), as he did kind of come up with the concept. Feel
free to hand out free copies, paste it to your wall or whatever, just make
sure that his name is on it somewhere. Thanks :).
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CUOMBAJJ WITCHES!-First of all, if for nothing else, use this card so you
can get a look at more of Kaja Foglio's art :). Of course, there are more
reasons than this to use the card, but hey, if all else fails, you can
always look at the picture. Now why is it these two bathing beauties are
not utilized very often? Perhaps it's there special ability...tap to do 1
damage to any target, but your opponent then gets to do 1 damage to any
target of his or her choice. One might look at it and think it's a poor
man's Tim (Prodigal Sorcerer), but this is not so.
	Although it costs 2 Black Mana, this is still cheaper than Tim's 3
mana casting cost. Not to mention the fact that while the ever popular Tim
is a 1/1 creature, the Cuombajj twins are 1/3. So why haven't they gained
at least equal footing with the Sorcerer? That pesky little provisio in
the card text about the opponent getting to do one damage in return no
doubt. Is this really that much of a disadvantage though?
	As a 1/3 creature, the Cumbajj Witches are of far more utility
than Tim, who is open to all sorts of dangers as a 1/1 creature. He can't
even face off against Grizzly Bears and emerge victorious, whereas the
Cumbajj can. This in itself makes the Witches at least half as useful as
the Sorcerer.
	This isn't all however...what if you want to use the Cuombajj to
tap for 1 point of damage? Get rid of your opponents Prodigal Sorcerer,
Sorceress Queen, or what have you, and all you have to endure is 1 point
of damage placed by your opponent. Is that such a bad deal? Well, for
those of you will weak stomachs who think this is a bad deal, there is
another option :).
	Around here, the damage dealt by an opponent due to the Cuombajj
special power is considered damage from a black source (this is how we
believe the rules are worded...if we're wrong, please let us know). This
means that a Circle of Protection: Black will turn the Cumbajj Witches
into something more useful than the Prodigal Sorcer, as your opponent
cannot target you with the damage. As long as you have no */1 creatures in
play, you're set :).
	There are more basic uses for this card as well, however. As a
1/3 with a cheap casting cost, they serve the same purpose as Brass Man,
which is an early game shock troop. Placing Unholy or Holy Strength on the
Witches can be effective, since this simple measure renders them immune to
Lightening Bolts nd all creatures less than 4/*. This means they can be
used to either inflict annoying damage early in the game, or they can be
used as cheap defenders. Not to shabby for something which costs a mere 2
mana.
	Also remeber, that unlike Tim, the Cuombajj Witches are immune to
Terror, which we often call Timbane. With the Witches, that's one less
card you have to worry about.
	Jeremy Hinton (hinton@lightening.cs.edu) points out that the
Cuombajj Witches are an excellent card to have in play when you've got an
Oasis down. Use the Witches, and if your opponent targets a creature, tap
the Oasis. If the opponent targets YOU, hope you have a CoP:Black :).

UNSTABLE MUTATION!-The prospect of turning Mons's Goblin Raiders into
slavering beasts of death dealing destruction is usually enough incentive
to stock this card into a deck. After all, it's an excellent card in those
situations where you need a nasty beastie really quick, either for attack
or defence. Is there a use beyond turning Dr.Jekyll into Mr.Hyde? Let's see...
	Obviously, Unstable Mutation has the immediate benefit of Giant
Growth, a +3/+3 creature. It also has the rather distressing side effect
of ultimately killing the beast it's cast upon, slowly and rather
painfully (have you ever watched a 5/5 creature slowly whittled down to
nothingness? That's painful). While this is useful in and of itself, there
is much more to Unstable Mutation than that.
	With the advent of Legends, Unstable Mutation is an excellent card
to play in conjuction with something like Wall of Putrid Flesh, or
Enchanted Being. Why? Play Unstable Mutation on one of his creatures, and
then proceed to block it with the Being or the Wall :). Both reduce damage
from creatures with Enchantments on them to 0, making them excellent
additions to any Legends deck. Not only will those creatures be unable to
inflict damage, but the enchantment will ultimately kill them. There is
nothing more satisfying than playing a beneficial card on an opponent, and
then using it against him or her :). Of course, your degree of
satisfaction varies considerably depending upon which side of the table
you are on.
	What of thos epoor folks without Legends (and there are many).
What are they to do? Well, you can still pull the same stunt on an
opponent, you'll just need different cards. Cast Unstable Mutation on one
of his beasts during your turn, then after his upkeep (when the -1/-1
counter has been placed), play Tranquility or Disenchant. This combination
gives roughly the same effect as Weakness, for just 1 mana more. This
strategy, however, may be of limited appeal to most, since it doesn't
really get rid of a beastie, it just makes him both weaker and angrier.
	Of course, the best use against an opponent is the one suggested
by Ulrich Schade (schade@lili.uns-bielefeld.de). Play Unstable Mutation
against one of your opponents Walls. While not as effective as Terror, or
other instant kills, it can be very usefull against things like Wall of
Bone, Wall of Spears or the like. If you add a Disenchant once it has
piled up enough -1/-1 counters to kill it, so much the better :). While
this is a slow way of killing off a wall, it can be useful in a long game,
and has the benefit over Terror in that it will work on both Artifact and
Black Walls.
	On your own creatures, Unstable Mutation and Berserk are an
excellent combination as well. Since the Mutation will kill your beast
anyway, then by all means go out with a bang :). Even Drudge Skeletons
become mosntrous 8/8 tramplers with this combination played on them.
	Nicholas Fang (fang@cse.ogi.edu) provides several different
combinations of cards to use with Unstable Mutation, all of which can be
quite deadly. Used with Venarian Gold (a Legends Common), a creature can
be given a slow, sleepy death. Unable to function with Venarian Gold, the
Unstable Mutation will give your opponent a powerful creature which simply
can't do anything until it is to late. And then it dies. Now that's cruel.
Used with Enchantment Alteration, one could spread the -1/-1 counters from
Unstable Mutation with wild abandon, passing the Enchantment along to
whomever seems the most appropriate at the time. 
	Michael G.Dickey (mgd@ins.infonet.net) suggest that one play
Aspect of Wolf on a creature before using Unstable Mutation...Green Mages
take heed! This is one combination which will makes Berserk look
positively charming by comparison. With enough Forests in play, you could
find yourself with a 14/13 creature from the depths...an all new meaning
to the 'Green Meanie' Deck. 
	Daniel Asthur found one use for the Unstable Mutation which, while
not an everday occurence, may prove useful once in a while. By placing an
Unstable Mutation on a 3/3 creature, waiting for a -1/-1 to accumulate,
and then dispelling the Enchantment, he escaped the effects of the
Meekstone. While not useful everday, this could allow you to use the
special abilities of some of your creatures (Stone Giant for instance)
without having to worry about permanently tapping them.
	One of the best uses, which I neglected to mention in the first
posting of this particular SCS, was using it on the Rukh Egg (first
discussed in VOL 1,#2). Placing Unstable Mutation on this card not only
gives you a 3/6 creature, but upon it's death, a 4/4 Flying comes into
play :). Your opponet simply will not be impressed.

ASHNOD'S TRANSMOGRANT!-Never mind the wonderfully low casting cost of _1_,
or the varied utility. Get a hold of this card just for the art! Mark
Tedin is rapidly becoming my favourite Magic artist (along with Anson
Maddocks), and this card is one reason. However, you aren't here to listen
to me play art critic, so let us dispense with the pleasantries and get
down to business, shall we? :)
	The most obvious use for the Transmogrant is to give some of your
creatures a quick fix. It's a nice card to use on 3/3 creatures to not
only render them +1/+1, but also make them immune to Lightening Bolts and
Terror. After all, if they're turned into Artifact Creatures, then that
nasty Black Card will no longer have an effect on them. It's a nice card
to use on the Prodigal Sorcerer as well (or any 1/1 with a nice power),
giving them a little more staying power, while allowing them to retain
their special abilities. There is more to the Transmogrant than that,
however, as you shall soon see.
	As pointed out by Ulrich Schade (schade@lili.uni-bielefeld.de),
the Transmogrant can be played on some of your OPPONENT'S creatures. The
cries of anguish will be as sweet music to your ears when you give his or
her Force of Nature the Transmogrant, and then proceed to Crumble or
Disenchant the poor fellow. Using the Transmogrant on your foes Prodigal
Sorcerer can also be useful, especially if you place Artifact Possession
on it afterwards (wonderful idea that...if the poor sod wants to use that
poke, he'll take 2 damag). A wonderful way to turn an opponent's creatures
against him :).
	Better yet, use Detonate on the newly created Artifact Creature.
for even more fireworks, throw a Creature Bond into the mix...the
Transmogrant not only makes it possible to Detonate the creature, but will
increase the resulting damage from it's destruction :).
	Jesse Fuchs (jmfuchs@unix.amherst.edu) points out, quite rightly,
that one of the best uses for the Transmogrant is detente...simply having
it on the table may make a Black Mage (such as myself) think twice about
trying to Terror something, full in the knowledge that you merely have to
tap and use the Transmogrant to render the Terror useless. Psyching out
your opponent is half the game in many cases :).
	Tom Wylie (aahz@hal.com) provides us with an even more painful use
of the Transmogrant. Transmogrify your opponents most terrifying
creatures, and then use Steal Artifact or Aladdin to bring them onto your
side of the fray. No look of admiration in an opponents eyes after that
stunt :). He also suggests using the Transmogrant on a creature just
before it hits the Graveyard, allowing you to take advantage of Urza's
Mitre or the Tablet of Epityr.

SHANODIN DRYADS!-Another Anson Maddocks work, for those of you who (like
I) keep track of these things :). This _1_ mana 1/1 creature has the
incredibly useful talent of Forestwalking, making it an excellent
offensive investment. They can usually be found in quantity in the 'Green
Weenie' decks, stocked to overflowing with mana and cheap critters. With
the ability to Forestwalk, the Dryads have potential far beyond simply
being cheap, cute, creatures.
	Obviously, the best use for the Dryads is using them against an
Opponent with Forests. 1 Damage a turn. It's far too easy to take out a
1/1 creature, though, so the best thing to do with the Dryads is place a
Holy Armour on them. Holy Strength + Holy Armour is another excellent
combination that can be used on the Dryads, turning them into very cheap
2/5, unblockable attackers. For a quick fix, if you aren't using a
White/Green deck, Giant Growth can be equally useful, creating a 4/4 Dryad
from hell for 1 turn, which your opponent will really not appreciate. 
	If you aren't willing to give up a Giant Growth on a Dryad,
consider using Unstable Mutation. Considering the limited lifespan of most
1/1 creatures, it's an excellent investment. The Forestwalk ability also
gets the Dryads around many of those nasty new Legends cards such as
Enchanted Being and Wall of Putrid Flesh. To a Green Player, this is an
excellent creature to use agains anyone with Abomination (a card which
destroys any Green or White card which it blocks or is blocked by).
	What do you do if your opponent doesn't play Forests? Make them
:). Use Phantasmal Terrain against an opponent to create a land type which
allows the Dryad to cross them. If your opponent plays Multilands, you may
not even have to do this much :). This is best against Black Mages such as
myself, who tend to avoid playing Green). I can attest to the fact that
there is nothing more frustrating than first having one of your precious
Swamps turned into a piece of overgrown, bug infested woodland, and then
to top it all off having those Shanodin strumpets barging in over your
real estate :).
	As 1/1 creatures, the Dryads also serve less worthy purposes. The
truly heartless may choose to feed them to the Lord of the Pit. While not
exactly a glorious end, it'll keep the big boy from trompling you into the
ground.
	Of course, there are many ways to prevent the Dryads from using
your Forests as their personal playgrounds. Prodigal Sorcerer, Cuombajj
Witches, Pestilence a d even, in a true example of overkill, Lightening
Bolt will all get rid of them. A Circle of Protection:Green will allow you
to ignore them, and as always, Terror will send them cowering into the
bushes :). 
	As with any other creature, if you want to increase the long term
survivability of the Dryads, play some useful enchantments. As previously
mentioned, Holy Armour and Holy Strength render the Dryads immune to
Lightening Bolts. Add Ashnod's Transmogrant, and you've got something
that's also immune to Terror. With the ability of Forestwalk, these simple
1/1 creatures can quite rapidly become a royal pain to eliminate.
	To add to this rather annoying mixture, follow the suggestion of
Michael Lerner (as232@cleveland.freenet.edu) and place a Regeneration on
the Shanodin Dryads. How much more infuriating can you get than a
Forestwalking 1/1 which just refuses to die. It's the Greenpeace version
of Tim :).

FLASH FLOOD!-This beautiful little Blue Common should soon become a
primary component of any Blue Permission deck, another painful piece of
coronary inducing thaumaturgy guaranteed to drive your foe batty. Not only
will this card wipe out any Permanent in a Red Mages inventory, but it can
send those nasty little mountains back into his hand. So let's delve into
the wonders of this Instant, shall we? Time to go swimming...
	Obviously, the best use for this card is simply to wipe out any of
those annoying, wretched little permanents which may have been giving you
grief. It only affects red permanents, granted, but since this covers
everything from Dwarven Demolition Team to Orcish Oriflamme, we're talking
a very useful little card for a mere _1_ mana. Picture the anguish, the
torment on an opponent's face when a veritable wall of water washes that
miserable little Granite Gargoyle out to sea.
	Evident also is this cards usefulness against the  Kobold/Goblin
Deck...one Flash Flood will sned a Goblin King, Kobold Taskmaster or
Kobold Drill Sergeant fleeing back to his caves. No red permanent is safe
from a Flash Flood. There are more uses than this, however...
	Not only can you use Flash Flood to send an opponent's mountain
back into his or her hand, but you can do the very same with your own
mountains. Why would you want to do a thing like that? As the card says,
though, all Enchantments on target land are destroyed...what a wonderful
way to rid yourself of nasty little Enchantments such as Psychic Venom and
Cursed Land, should they be played on your mountains. Many folks, fearing
the power of a Fireball, Venom Mountains at every opportunity (I know I
do...), Flash Flood can rescue a Mountain from such an ignoble fate.
	Of course, countering Flash Flood is much harder. The typical
counter spells are useful (Power Sink, Spell Blast, Red Elemental Blast),
but using them against a 1 mana card when something more wretched may be
lurking in the corners is a danger. If you don't play Red Cards, of
course, you have nothing to worry about...unless someone decides to
Chaoslace that Serra Angel of yours...ick. 
	Another excellent use for Flash Flood is against all those nasty
Legends which are considered Red cards....as well as Red Permanents. What
a horror could be visited upon the owner of a Red Elder Dragon when, AFTER
he or she has payed upkeep on the fellow, you play your Flash Flood. All
that mana gone, and a dragon washed away to boot. Not a happy event :).
	Nicolas Fang (fang@cse.ogi.edu) points out that one excellent use
for the Flash Flood is to gain control, or destroy, those Legends which
require Mountain upkeep. While already touched on briefly above, a more
specific example would be as follows. Take Rohgahh of Kher Keep...if you
use Flash Flood on one of your Opponents only three mountains (or the ones
he is using for upkeep), he is unable to maintain payment to that
mercenary Kobold horde. Rather than watching Rohgahh die, though, the
failure to pay upkeep results in Rogahh switching allegiance over to YOU.
Nothing beats using an opponents card against him :).
	Another cruel thing to do with Flash Flood, something which will
make it even MORE useful than it already is, was suggested by Steve
Thompson (thompson@crash.cts.com). Using either Sleight of Mind or Magical
Hack, Flash Flood can be turned into something which will annihilate ANY
colour card on the table...it's becomes a cheap Desert Twister, something
which Blue Elemental Blast CAN'T do :).

BLACK WARD!-Yes, this simple _1_ mana card has been a source of great
comfort and relief to me in times past, for reasons which I hope will be
apparent. Never mind the fact that most folks just don't expect a Black
Mage...a NECROMANCER of all people, to utilize White magic, this card
harbours great power in any Black deck.
	First of all, this is an excellent enchantment to play on any
creature you wish to protect from the withering effects of Pestilence. One
of my more gruesome tactics is to bring out my Khabal Ghoul, pump up the
Pestilence and clear the board, and then the Ghoul is ready to wreak havoc
:). Of course, in any other deck, this is the primary defence against
Terror. Many are the awesome creatures which have been laid low by the
simple power of Terror, but a Black Ward will make every Black Mage wince
and gnash their teeth. There is nothing more frustrating than a flying,
4/4 Serra Angel which has a Black Ward played on her. 
	A better ploy to use with Black Ward though, requires a bit more
thought. First, use the Enchantment Fear upon a creature of rather
frightening ability. Never mind the fact that now it can only be blocked
by Black and Artifact creatures. Next, use any of the *lace cards
(Purelace, Chaoslace, etc.) with the obvious exception of Deathlace.
Change the colour of the Fear Enchantment, and then cast Black War don the
creature. Now there is nothing short of an Artifact Creature that will
stop it :). Imagine using this combination on the Argothian
Treefolk...NOTHING short of Disintegrate, or a damn big Fireball can touch
him :).
	This isn't all though. The Black Ward can also be endlessly useful
against all those hideous new Legends cards. The Abomination and Infernal
Medusa (two of the more withering Black creatures from the expansion_ are
rendered next to useless with a Black Warded creature. While this is an
obvious ploy, never underestimate it's utility. Putting a Black Ward on a
Craw Giant or Craw Worm, is cruel, especially when an Abomination or
Infernal Hydra is in play. Note that this particular card is only useful
on the ATTACK, since Black creatures cannot block the warded creature...on
the defence they can still be destroyed by the special abilities of the
Medusa or Abomination, which is not considered 'damage' per se.

	Using Deathlace in conjuction with the Black Ward is also an
excellent idea. Use the Deathlace to change the colour of your opponents
most powerful creature to Black, and then Death Ward something like the
Benalish Hero. This enables a weaker monster to block the most hideous
thing in your opponents arsenal :). Hmmm, why am I, a Black Mage,
discussing all these wonderful ways in which to make my own life
miserable? Just benevolent I guess :).
	
	At any rate, these are just a few of the potential uses for the
Black Ward, and tactics which can be used to best utilize this card. It's
ability to render creatures immune to Terror and Pestilence is it's best
draw, but you can also use it to bolster your already deadly monsters.
Though vulnderable to Tranquility and Disenchant, it achieves most of it's
usefulness against the decks which have the least ability to defeat
it...the Black decks. It's potential offensive uses (as mentioned with the
*lace card and Fear) cannot be understated either.

INVISIBILITY!-Ah...this poor fellow was retire before his time in this
humble Necromancers opinion. A simple 2 mana creature Enchantment which
renders the target unblockable, except by walls, is truly something to be
missed. And there are so many reasons why...
	First of all, this card will get mant a player by some of the
nastier folks in Legends. All those hideous special abilities possessed by
Abomination, Enchanted Being, and the Infernal Medusa are useless when one
places Invisibility upon a creature. This is a most excellent way of
avoiding some of the more devastating blockers possessed by your opponent.
	Better yet, use Invisibility on a Battering Ram :). THis creates a
combination which literally destroys anything that blocks it...a true
dilemma for your opponent should there be nothing between you and him save
a Wall of Ice...placing Giant Growth, Holy (or Unholy) Strength on
tBattering Ram will make the dilemma all the more delightful. Either save
yourself from suffering for one round, and loose the Wall, or let the
Enchanted Battering Ram through, subjecting yourself to some rather nasty
consequences. Imagine if you will a Firebreathing Battering Ram bearing
down on your hapless foe...not only a terrifying sight, but a pretty
amusing one as well :).
	In a Black/Blue deck, Invisibility can be even more devastating.
Place it on a Hypnotic Specter, and unless your foe has a Flying Wall in
hand, he or she will be forced to Discard a card EVERY turn you attack.
Used along with Millstone and Mindtwist, you can whittle a deck down in
very little time indeed. Something to consider with those opponent swho
delight in "lean & mean" decks :).
	Invisibility is most effective when used on Flying Creatures,
since this cuts down on the number of Walls which can effectively block
the winged beastie. Imagine a wave of Invisible Sengir Vampires, Fallen
Angels and Air Elementals invisibily winging their way over to your
opponent, and I think you get the idea of just how painful this card can
be :).
	Apart from the old standards of Disenchant and Tranquility (or any
other enchantment busting device), the only real effective counter to
Invisibility is a single Card, the Wall of Putrid Flesh. Some of the
Glyphs (such as Glyph of Doom) are useful as well, but in the case of an
Invisible Battering Ram, the only way to stop it is with the Putrid Flesh,
or by killing it. Invisibility is one of those cards that, if you don't
have a counter for it, you're in for a heaping load of pain and suffering :).
	Even more suffering and misery can be inflicted upon am individual
by placing Invisibility on Juggernaut, as first suggested by Nightblade
(darkone@sage.cc.purdue.edu). The Juggernaut can't be blocked by walls,
and the only thing that can block something Invisible is a Wall...I leave
the results up to your imagination :). 
	Gaucho (gaucho@netcom.com) offers up another little goody for use
of the Invisibility spell, something which can counter the infamous Lured
Basilisk combination. If you have no walls in play, place Invisibility on
his Lured Basilisk...gee, I can't block with anything :). Next time out,
no more Basilisk :).

DRAIN LIFE!-For all of those who play Black, and complained there was
nothing which could add to your life total, this is the card for you :).
There's nothing more brightening to your day than sucking the very life
out of an opponent and adding it to yours, after all :).
	Quite obviously, the best use for this card is against your
opponents rather nasty creatures. Pump up the thing with 10 black mana,
and you not only take out his Sardian Colossus, but manage to get 9 life
in the exchange. Of course, this requires that you have 10 black mana in
your pool, but in the later stages of a game, there should be plenty of
mana to go around. Since this spell has no provisions as in Terror (it can
affect any single target), it's an excellent choice to take out beasties
like the Yotian Soldier, Obsianus Golem, Brass Man and so forth. Not only
will it destroy the creature, but it will add 1 point to your life total
for every damage point inflicted.
	In dire situations, when your own life total is lacking, it can
even be used against your own creatures for a quick fix. If that Sea
Serpent or Islandfish Jasconius is sitting there idle, use Drain Life to
provide yourself with a quick boost. I've kept myself in the game on more
than one occaison with this particular tactic...besides, if you're playing
black, you should have no qualms about sacrificing your own creatures :).
	Drain Life achieves is most gruesome use when used in conjuction
with other cards, however. First, use up all your protective enchantments
on an OPPONENTS creatures. Thins like Holy Armour (which is pumpable),
Holy Strength, etc. Then cast a Creature Bond. And then Drain Life the
sucker. Not only do you get 1 life for every damage point, but your
OPPONENT takes an equivalent amount in life loss. If you pull this stunt
on Argothian Treefolk for example, watch what happens. With a simple Holy
Armour, the fellow becomes a 3/7. Creature bond, and then Drain life. You
gain 7 Life, your foe loses 7 life. Whereas you may have before been at
20/20, the gap is now 27/13. This will not make you any friends, but hey,
in a duel, the crueler the better :).
	Another excellent card to use with Drain Life is Dark Ritual. The
addition of 2 more Black Mana to your pool can help in those situations
where you really need to take out some rather large, nasty individual who
is breathing down your neck (the Colossus of Sardia comes to mind). While
certainly not as easy to use as Stream of Life, Drain Life also has the
benefit of taking out an opponent while providing you with life.
	Of course, the best defenses against Drain Life are the usually.
Spell Blast, Power Sink and the usual Blue counterspells. Black Ward and
CoP:Black are also excellent choices. Drain Life is most effective against
Green decks, since there is not a lot a Green player can do against
Sorcery spells. Oh well :).
	The ELF (mblack@mdw015.cc.monash.edu.au) suggests a rather grisly
combination for this particular card. Use Reverse Damage after using Drain
Life on YOURSELF. According to the rules team, this will, indeed, provide
you with DOUBLE the life :). Yup, Drain 10 of your own points, you gain
ten life from that...cast reverse damage, and the damage is
repaired...you're up ten. And then Reverse Damage adds ANOTHER 10 to your
total. Gruesome :).
	Or do what The Mist (ammost@athena.mit.edu) does and Fork it :).

BOOMERANG!-Though hardly what one would consider useless or underrated,
the Boomerang is, nonetheless, underutilized, in this humble mages
estimation. Most folks tend to prefer the spectacular, death dealing
spells which out and out destroy a card, not just send it back into the
hand. As usual, we shall work our way from the elementary to the esoteric :).
	Obviously, the most common use for Boomerang would be to get rid
of those Holy Armoured, Holy Strengthed Craw Wurms which just won't let
you alone. Launch the Boomerang, and not only are those poor, pathetic
enchantments lost to the caster, but the Wurm must again be cast...this
time devoid of it's enhancements. This not only takes the Wurm out of
play, but gives you time to draw, or utilize a spell such as Spell Blast
or Power Sink, which you may not have had an opportunity to employ before.
	This ability to destroy Enchantments on the permanent card put
back in hand has endless potential when used on YOU as well. Psychic
Venom, Phantasmal Terrain, Cursed Land, Blight, and numerous other
detrimental enchantments can all be removed by use of Boomerang. The card
goes back into your hand, available for use. As Nicholas Fang
(fang@cse.ogi.edu) points out, this is also an excellent way to deny an
Opponent his landwalking abilities. Wait until he or she has declared his
attack, and then Boomerang whatever land is being walked over. Those poor
Shanodin Dryads are now caught out in the open, a perfect target for any
blocker :).
	One can also use it to deny an Opponent the extra mana from a Wild
Growth, or other similar Land enhancements. In this manner, it can also be
an excellent way to deny the upkeep needed for many cards. An opponent of
mine has a penchant of Wild Growthing his Forest, so he can pay upkeep on
that Force of Nature...imagine the pained, shocked, and rather disgusted
exppression when that Forest is Boomeranged into his hand, and he cannot
pay upkeep...the mossy little fellow will walk all over him in his anger :).
	Nicholas Fang also points out an astoundingly vicious use for the
card when your opponent has something like Al-Abara's Carpet or the
various Circles of Protection out. Declare your attack...since your
oppoennt will feel defended with his various Circles, Carpets and other
such attack denyiong devices, let him declare "No blockers". And then
Boomerang whatever it is that's holding you back :). Screams erupt as your
hordes go trampling all over your foe, and you just giggle :).

GHAZBAN OGRE!-I ask you quite honestly, is there any other 2/2 creature in
the game that you can get on the table for the measly cost of _1_ Green
Mana? Didn't think so :). This casting cost, combined with the suggestions
below, make the Ogre an excellent addition to any deck, so do read on :).
	First of all, the Ogre's casting cost is it's best benefit. For
that one mana, you can get a 2/2 attacker on the table in rapid fashion.
It's the unfortunate stipulation on the card that bothers most people,
that thing about during the controller's upkeep, the player with the
highest life total takes control of Ghazban Ogre. This is hardly the
detriment it seems :).
	If you are fond of the Ivory Tower/Library of Leng combination,
and your opponent isn't, this is one card that will probably never leave
your control (barring some great disaster). It goes without saying that
this little fellow should NEVER enter play on your side until you have a 5
Life Point lead over your opponent (avoids the nasty problem of being hit
by a Lightning Bolt and losing control of the Ghazban). Another way around
this stipulation is to put the Ogre into play immediately after casting
Stream of Life on yourself. If the Ogre can get out early enough, he can
usually do enough damage to your foe himself to keep you in control :).
	The best use I've seen for the Ogre is to put him into play as
soon as you have a Life Total lead, and then Unstable Mutation him :). For
_2_ mana, you've created a 5/5 monster which will do enough damage to your
adversary to keep control of the reins in your hand, AND that eliminates
any worry that he may be used against you in the future. Rather hard to
rebel when you're dead :). I've found that the Ogre makes an excellent
shock troop in this respect. In any Green deck, this combination can be
made all the more frightening with the addition of a Giant Growth...three
mana gets you an 8/8 Dumbo the Ogre from hell. In ideal situations, this
combination could be out on Turn 3.
	Nick Fang (fang@cse.ogi.edu) offers up another way of keeping the
Ogre in check. If the Tabernacle at Pendrall Vale is in play, every
creature now requires 1 Upkeep, or it will be destroyed. If you know
you're losing control of Ghazban, refuse to pay the upkeep before he
switches sides :). Bang, he's dead, and he's served his purpose well :).
	Another method which allows the Ogre to stay in play is simply to
put a CoP:Green on your side of the table...if you lose control of him,
just power up the Circle to keep the wretch off your lawn until he comes
to his senses :).
	Never underestimate the utility of this card, though. When you
have a high life point total, the mana per power ratio of this card cannot
be underestimated. One mana for a 2/2 early in the game can be the
difference between life and death later on. Once the Ogre has outlived his
usefulness, he can be sacrificed to the Lord of the Pit or what have you,
or Unstable Mutationed so that he can die with honour :).
	Christopher Harris Knight (gt1241c@prism.gatech.edu) (along with
Nick Fang) note that one effective way to deter the use of this little boy
on you is to place Wanderlust on him, especially if you have a CoP:Green
in play (something I ALWAYS have in play before I put the Ghazban down) :).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tons of thanks go out to all the folks who help make the SCS
possible...there are literally hundreds of you know, and my appreciation
knows no bounds :). As soon as I finish typing it up, a complete thank you
list will be posted :)

Happy Magicking all!
Jeff Franzmann

	

