Garruk, Apex Predator!

Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum

Posted on June 29, 2014, 11:49 p.m. by BoromirOfGondor

The ultimate hunter has returned with a vengeance. What do you think of Garruk, M15 edition?

Link:

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/hunter-2014-06-30

snozzle1 says... #1

http://sales.starcitygames.com//spoiler/display.php?&s%5B5288%5D=5288&foil=nofoil&for=no&r_all=All&t_all=All&g_all=All&sort1=4&sort2=1&sort3=10&numpage=25&display=1&startnum=0here he is 25 dollers starcity games

June 30, 2014 12:41 p.m.

Apoptosis says... #2

BUG control... I'm pretty sure the only true wraths in standard post rotation are in black and white, but white will be without draw power that black can still get, poor Elspeth, Sun's Champion as you lose Supreme Verdict and especially Sphinx's Revelation , so will control decks say goodbye to her as a 4x.

All Hail Your new Dark Overlord!!!

;-)

June 30, 2014 12:50 p.m.

I hate how starcity just jacks up prices for things prelease. It's insane. Nissa is also super expensive.

Shame on them. SUPER shame on them.

shame on people who feed the machine as well.

June 30, 2014 12:51 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #4

His token gen is a sweet wincon in itself.

Yea, he's an even more expensive Vraska the Unseen but sometimes u just gotta add that singleton in for fun & flavor even when it isn't competitive.

I basically look at standard as "U have this window to play this card". So I'm going to play it.

My WIP deck is planning on using Terra Stomper as a win-con so 1 more mana won't be anything to shake a stick at.

June 30, 2014 1:48 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #5

Enough with the 7 mana thing! Guys, what colors is he? black and GREEN? Yeah Let us not forget we have nykthos or elvish mystic and sylvan caryatid! We can reach him just as fast as elspeth if not faster! And look at all his utility!

June 30, 2014 4:11 p.m.

People always get caught up on the worst case scenario. This guy won't be the only card in your deck, so he doesn't have to do everything by himself. If you build a deck to make use of him, he's going to be absolutely nutballs.

June 30, 2014 4:25 p.m.

just so people will stop with the OMG ITS 7 mana thing...like green as any remote problem of getting to that point...

Elvish Mystic

Voyaging Satyr

Karametra's Acolyte

Sylvan Caryatid

Satyr Wayfinder (in a way)

Golden Hind

Font of Fertility

Mana Bloom

and that's just within green and mainly creatures...I know there are other enchantments to help ramp.

to top it all off there is Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

So 7 mana argument is a officially dead....irrelevant from hence forth.

June 30, 2014 6:25 p.m.

beakedbard says... #8

So if I'm not mistaken Jund now has 9 planeswalkers in the point of standard between M15 and Khans. Although some of them aren't that great that's still crazy.

So lets look at this hits the board and either destroys and planeswalker or creates protection with deathtouch on his +1 that is completely insane or a -3 that destroys threats and recovers you. So far so good and the ultimate although its not massively epic for a 7cmc planeswalker it still does the job and its going to be funny as hell in multiplayer games. On the note of it being the most expensive planeswalker bar Nicol Bolas its in the right two colors to be able to do that with enough luck you can have him down turn 4 and easily turn 5 which is pretty game changing. All in all i like him he's well built not completely overpowered but definitely makes an impact.

June 30, 2014 6:33 p.m.

katarhero says... #9

First there was Jace the Ungodly (Jace, the Mind Sculptor ). Then there was Liliana, Queen of Hate (Liliana of the Veil ). Now there is Garruk, Destroyer of Field-States. (Garruk, Apex Predator!)

June 30, 2014 9:34 p.m.

Bnon says... #10

I'm making a green black deck

June 30, 2014 9:39 p.m.

Bnon says... #11

I might make a new bug deck with this and the new jace probably a graveyard deck

June 30, 2014 9:49 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #12

Did people forget about Obzedat's Aid ?

June 30, 2014 10 p.m.

I can see it as a sideboard card for my Jund Monsters.

Seems plausible to run it main in something new.

June 30, 2014 10:10 p.m.

MindAblaze! I did. That's interesting.

I'd never play B/W without R but I'd try a 5C Superfriends with Obzedat's Aid and the new Jace for fun.

June 30, 2014 10:18 p.m.

Am I dumb for thinking the -8 seems bad? I don't get it.

June 30, 2014 11:53 p.m.

JWiley129 says... #16

ZombieswithJetpacks - You give the emblem to your opponent, so any creature that attacks that player gets +5/+5 and trample.

July 1, 2014 12:02 a.m.

TheGamer says... #17

eh, its not the best ZombieswithJetpacks. But it is certainly very powerful. It could have been so much greater.

July 1, 2014 12:02 a.m.

I just feel like Garruk will see alot of play in EDH and it seems odd to just pick 1 opponent. I mean I guess I won't complain abbout 8/8 deathtouch tramplers, but still. Eh I shouldn't complain another 4 ability walker is amazing to me.

July 1, 2014 12:15 a.m.

darthfrog says... #19

His ultimate is pretty awesome when packed in with his 3/3 +1 ability. If he gets to +1 for three beasts, ults and attacks, even at 20 life, your opponent will need at least 5 creatures to not die. Deathtouch+Trample=Insane. His token +1 and ultimate is the same speed as Elspeth, Sun's Champion 's flow. In a control shell, he is very much a win-con.

July 1, 2014 11:36 a.m.

Quadsimotto says... #20

Oh man, I just saw this bad ass on Mythicspoiler and was just fired up. The best walker out of the set in IMO. Even at a seven CMC with ramp he hits the table fairly fast provides instant and constant walker removal, a token generator that puts out beastly creatures that have deathtouch, a creature killer with lifegain? the ultimate is one that is a game ender when his tokens are out. Crazy powerful card. I think JUND, JUNK, BUG, golgari and mono green players(splashing for him obviously) just kinda shat themselves a bit. Ill be ordering a playset no doubt.

July 1, 2014 3:48 p.m.

ceji3 says... #21

I made a deck based largely around his and Elspeth's token making. (not really)

It is a Junk Midrange that removes all your stuff, and ultimate's my two favorite(?) walkers.

Check it out please!

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/that-new-guy-garruk-the-apex-predator/?c=1458950

July 1, 2014 10:08 p.m.

ceji3 says... #22

Sorry for double posting, but

After i read the comments i figured i would say my thoughts.

He is kind of playable. All the ramp in standard will begin to bring him out turn 5 or 6. Normally, i dominate the board with my junk midrange, taking control of the opponent (figuratively) and preventing them from doing jack.

Then, dropping this bomb, and adding counters, or wiping out your garruk. Also, i have mostly played all m15/theros block decks with it and it rocks. He gets rid of their fatty's, gives me life, restores my board position, ultimates in 2 turns with the help of Ajani Steadfast

then, to do the worst i give the opponent an emblem that says "LOL im screwed."

His tokens and Elspeth help keep my board protected as people hesitate to attack a guy with a 3/3 deathtouch that they have no answers to.

My deck: That new guy, Garruk, the Apex Predator

July 1, 2014 10:21 p.m.

shinobigarth says... #23

im gonna play him x2 probably. still deciding about just B/G or maybe some Jund action...

July 2, 2014 3:53 a.m.

Bnon says... #24

Made a bug deck that needs a lot of help I can't link it though the name is giant bugs

July 2, 2014 8:43 a.m.

N7soldier says... #25

everyone keeps saying that the 7 mana isn't a problem because of nissa... but she's just awful. she untapps forests only. costs 5 herself, and she puts your land in danger. when overgrow tomb and other shocks rotate, she'll see play as maybe a one or a two of in mono green standard decks. i agree that the new garruk is phenominal. but nissa...

July 4, 2014 2:40 a.m.

JWiley129 says... #26

N7soldier - Nissa is insane. Sure she isn't for every deck, but WotC is making an effort to make planeswalkers more niche than "You're playing X? Then you need to play 4 of this planeswalker!"

July 4, 2014 3:40 a.m.

shinobigarth says... #27

7 mana isn't a problem because of Caryatid and Mystic. forget Nissa, ill run this Garruk along with Liliana Vess

July 4, 2014 2:34 p.m.

Named_Tawyny says... #28

Seven mana makes a lot of sense to me. It's still quick enough (never thought I'd call 7 mana 'quick') to come in and off an opponent's PW before it can ultimate. Any faster, and you'd pretty much be creating a PW free zone on the other side of the table.

July 5, 2014 1:08 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #29

Anyone throwing him in a junk build? SuperJunk this is what I threw him into! No chain veil though.

July 8, 2014 6:09 a.m.

MindAblaze says... #30

I don't think it'll be a stretch to see him on turn 4 or 5 this summer. Come the fall when aggro takes over he may take a break though.

July 8, 2014 1:29 p.m.

shinobigarth says... #31

id still run a copy or 2 of him even if aggro goes big. long as you have a decent amount of creatures to protect him (along with his endless supply of blockers he makes) aggro will have to decide between him or you and they'll probably just go for you, in which case you just keep making 3/3's, occasionally killing one of their creatures if need be, until you can pop his ultimate and then your little Elvish Mystics are all now 6/6 tramplers.

July 8, 2014 7:56 p.m.

JaceSeeker says... #32

Personally I think its one amazing card but one I wouldnt play, besides the cost being high it feels to overpowered and kind of takes the fun out of the game, especially when you consider how easily you can get green mana out to summon, he could easily be a turn four or five summons if you get the right cards.

July 8, 2014 9:20 p.m.

sharkhunter66 says... #33

Do you think he will appear in other core sets or will he be exclusive to M15?

July 10, 2014 1:07 p.m.

harrydemon117 says... #34

Exclusive would be my guess. He's only recently become G/B and will probably either die or go back to being exclusively green in future sets

July 10, 2014 2 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #35

He will probably be killed off sometime soon sadly, seeing as garruk is my favorite, but nissa will probably take over which I'm okay with. I'm super excited though!

July 10, 2014 4:57 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #36

ceji3 I had an idea similar to yours with my deck but this is what I came up with. And it works very well! SuperJunk

July 10, 2014 5:02 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #37

Also as a matter of fact, why does it matter who gets the emblem? It can't be removed or disrupted!! Basically nothing would change if its worded different. Except in multiplayer but that's irrelevant. We are talking standard play here. That's 1v1

July 10, 2014 5:09 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #38

There are more formats than 1v1 Standard. If you get the emblem worded differently he's way stronger than if you choose which opponent gets it.

July 10, 2014 5:45 p.m.

3n3rgy2 says... #39

Yeah I get that but, I still think he's amazing. If the controller got the emblem he'd be pretty broken. they arent gonna print a broken of a card as JTMS or LotV!

July 10, 2014 6:16 p.m.

JaceSeeker says... #40

Frankly I think he wil be hard to get out, you'de have to run at least two of them to get past turn on Thoughtseize , Mind Sculpt , and to top it off Hero's Downfall , along with any types of counters because players who see him will go for it. Hes gonna be hard to work into standard.

July 15, 2014 7:42 p.m.

shinobigarth says... #41

he will be a little difficult to get out sure. but thats because once he is out its pretty much gg for your opponent unless they can Downfall him. and game 1 if they don't know you run him they might just use their Downfalls on your hydras or whatever large creatures you bring out.

July 16, 2014 5:29 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #42

what player in their right mind is going to turn one Thoughtseize a 7 drop?

July 16, 2014 7:09 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #43

...maybe we get some broken planeswalker reanimation.

July 16, 2014 7:10 p.m.

JaceSeeker says... #44

Honestly the second I see Green I think power hungry, and Garruk plays a big part of that so I would get him out just to make sure he cant come out, espically if I know I have nothing else in my deck to get rid of him. If I can think of ways to get that seven drop on turn four then so can my opponent and I would rather not take the risk when I can eliminate the threat while its still in your hand.

July 16, 2014 8:47 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #45

Crypt Ghast is still a legal option for a while :) Considering Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth will turn all your Forest into Bayou s.

His +1's are a win-con in themselves. I imagine it won't be hard to tick him up to ultimate at all.

July 16, 2014 9:16 p.m.

This discussion has been closed