Warden of the First Tree Abzan aggro or midrange???
Standard forum
Posted on Jan. 28, 2015, 11:10 p.m. by Vito1014
Im currently trying to build a standard abzan midrange deck. And Im trying to figure out if Warden is a fit for my deck. So back to the title. Does warden fit better in Abzan Aggro or Midrange?
Definitely aggro. The Abzan aggro decks are much better than the slower midrange decks now, with Siege Rhino topping the curve instead of being in the middle of it.
January 28, 2015 11:26 p.m.
I thought it fit well in both. More towards the midrange side. But im glad to hear there are opinions on both side and Im not the only one with mixed feelings about where it belonged.
January 28, 2015 11:41 p.m.
Ive tested with it in midrange and it was not good and although I havent tested it in aggro I dont really know if itll be good I want it to be but idk if it will
January 29, 2015 1:35 a.m.
Hjaltrohir says... #7
Vito1014 I agree with you, It works in both but more to the midrange side.
January 29, 2015 1:41 a.m.
I think it's good for a slightly slower aggro deck or slightly faster midrange deck.
January 29, 2015 5:44 a.m.
Souljacker says... #9
I think Kroto said it best. It's good in Aggro because you can attack with a 3/3 on T2, which makes hands with fewer cards playable too. Of course you rather 2 more creatures on T2, but on the other side it's a better card to draw later in the game than other 1 drops. He doesn't really fit in regular midrange deck since it's not a great draw midgame, but the fact that you can play it early makes it interesting to decks wanting to be a bit faster. It's the versatility that makes him playable in both archetypes.
January 29, 2015 7:50 a.m.
SoulJacker is exactly right. Though I don't think Warden of the First Tree makes either deck much better he doesn't hurt and can add versitility. He is good in an abzan aggro deck, because it is not a normal aggro deck. While the consept of kill them as fast as possible is the same as most aggro, the "common build for it doesn't even run 1-drops, because the 1-drops they can play get stopped by the meta right now (Sylvan Caryatid, Courser of Kruphix, lifegain in general). Where as if they play a bunch of value 2-drops that can get bigger plus not die to removal (Fleecemane Lion, Rakshasa Deathdealer, and to an extent Heir of the Wilds) they can punch through blockers while still remaing a fairly low-curve deck, and not losing card value late game. Warden is good here because he is a one-drop that becomes a 3/3 that can get through. I have experience playing G/W aggro last season and would have loved this guy last season. Late game aggro usually doesn't have much to do, Abzan though does, It has Rakshasa Deathdealer and Fleecemane Lion as mana sinks already. Warden does not make the cut in the "normal' abzan aggro or midrange plans because:
They normaly have a tap land on turn 1.
Both decks have a lot to do late game.
He doesn't have any protection from removal making him a prime target for lightning strike, bile blight, Ugin the spirit dragon and other removal.
While I try to avoid saying he is bad for dying to removal, I really can't as most of these deck's threats dodge a ton of it.If you plan on playing this guy don't just insert him in to a proved competitve deck, make it your own as this guy requires a little build around. By no means a bad card but not a good fit in either deck just my 2 cents. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
January 29, 2015 9:57 a.m.
He's the kind of creature that "looks better than he plays" in constructed. As a T1 drop in aggro, he gets in the way of a T2 drop, as you'll be forced to choose between making him bigger or dropping a creature (the latter typically being the better choice), and in midrange, he doesn't really stand out, as you're basically getting a 3/3 for 3 unless you can sink a whole bunch more in quivkly (where as I can get Fleecemane Lion for only 
). Plus he still dies to a well timed Magma Jet(or the like) if they do it in response to his first ability.
Ultimately, I think his home is in limited, but that's a tale for another forum
January 29, 2015 6:34 p.m.
Ok, So here is my next question. I know There are no decklists allowed in this forum. But the reason I asked this question is because I want to know if he works well in my deck. Im waiting for his price to drop some more. I have a feeling he'll get close to 4 dollars. But wanted some outside input. My feeling is that when you have a deck full of big threats for creatures. Spot removal can't take care of them all. Especially if your mana base is big enough(And Courser of Kruphix to help) to drop a land every turn. So if you could take a peak I'd appreciate it.
January 29, 2015 8:28 p.m.
Tag me in a comment on your list, I'll take a peek at it.
burghurkhang says... #2
I would say mid-range, since you need to sink a bit of mana into it to make it a worthwhile creature. Aggro builds are better off sticking with Deathdealers and Fleecemanes.
January 28, 2015 11:25 p.m.