Since Pro Tour: Marvel Super Heroes came and went, Modern has seen a ton of innovation. Since the tournament has come and gone, creature combo decks seem like the biggest unexpected addition that’s consistently putting up impressive results. Devoted Druid Combo, in particular, is the most successful among these, boasting eight different top eight Modern Challenge results.
MTG Devoted Druid Combo Returns
By taking advantage of the classic Devoted Druid and Vizier of Remedies combo, this deck can generate infinite green mana as early as turn three. With access to multiple creature tutors like Nature’s Rhythm and Green Sun’s Zenith, assembling this combo is surprisingly easy.
To fuel these tutors, Badgermole Cub and Leyline of Abundance can create absurd amounts of early game mana. Throw in a bunch of mana dorks like Delighted Halfling to stop countermagic, and Dryad Arbor to serve as a cheap tutor target, and this deck’s starts are both fast and flexible.
Once you have infinite green mana, it’s incredibly easy to win the game with this deck. Whether you find Duskwatch Recruiter to draw all your creatures, or Craterhoof Behemoth to swing for lethal, you’re just one tutor away from closing the game. Even Leyline of Abundance can win the game by pumping your team infinitely, or Walking Ballista can just ping them to death.
While this gives Devoted Druid combo a very powerful base, the deck is hardly perfect. Between being easy to disrupt, and getting hampered by summoning sickness, this deck was too slow to work in the past. Now, Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler plays a huge role, giving your combo Haste and recurring dead pieces. Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu can also give Devoted Druid pseudo-Haste, while Agatha’s Soul Cauldron can give any of your creatures its abilities.
Thanks to your tutor suite, you can also run a lot of silver bullets in your sideboard, completely hosing certain matchups. Collector Ouphe, for example, can stop Affinity in its tracks, while Drannith Magistrate shuts down Ruby Storm. You can even tutor Kraul Harpooner to remove more niche cards that stop your strategy, like Clarion Conqueror.
A Force to be Reckoned With
Between consistent, reliable combo kills and extremely fast starts, this Devoted Druid combo deck has a lot going for it. Quickly overwhelming the board can get ahead of Boros Energy’s removal suite while racing the likes of Izzet Affinity and Modern’s various colorless Eldrazi decks. Matchups like Goryo’s Vengeance are a bit tougher, but you can still use your infinite combos to go over the top.
All of that said, this deck is far from perfect. Other fast combo decks, like Simic Neoform and Cosmogoyf shells, can easily outrace this combo deck, especially for variants like this that don’t run targeted hate. With that in mind, so long as you can predict a metagame reliably, Devoted Druid Combo should be able to put up a fight against most strategies. Considering this, it’s no wonder that the archetype has had an explosive performance this past week.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast!