Final Fantasy MTG’s official release is just around the corner. As we await all the new cards, the early access event on MTG Arena helps give us a better sense of what the set has to offer. After all, tuning in to see your favorite content creator show off a spicy brew can be quite exciting.
One particular new archetype from the early access event really caught our attention. Content creator MTGA- BrewLab conjured up a mono-green Birds Standard decklist with tons of new cards. Boasting a 6-1 record while playing, perhaps there’s some hope for Bird typal after all! Let’s see what this strategy is all about.
Birds Aplenty
This Bird-themed deck was entirely made possible by the multitude of Chocobo cards in Final Fantasy MTG. This is an extremely simple build of a Birds archetype, utilizing almost all four-ofs and designed to beat the opponent down with Chocobo.
In the one-mana slot, Sazh’s Chocobo serves as your primary early play alongside Llanowar Elves, which accelerates you into your potent three-drops. Sazh’s Chocobo can get out of control quickly if left unchecked.
In the two-mana slot, Gysahl Greens and Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo both add to your Bird count on the cheap. Neither card is that impressive on their own, but as we will see later, efficient ways to increase your Bird count is essential to this deck’s success.
As we get deeper into the curve, Chocobo Racetrack gives you a way to turn your excess Lands into action. All things considered, Chocobo Racetrack is rather clunky, and if you don’t have extra Lands ready to go, the card essentially does nothing. So, playing four copies seems far from ideal without additional support.
The good news, at least, is that Chocobo Racetrack gives you a better shot at beating board wipes and grinding through removal, something this deck can have a hard time with. Chocobo Kick helps the cause, too, letting you return Lands to your hand to keep triggering Landfall while also clearing away a problematic blocker.
Bird Payoffs
In order to help make up for the fact that many of the Bird cards in the deck are a bit below par for Constructed, you need access to payoffs that reward you for sticking to this gameplan. This deck has access to a few different payoffs that give the Birds deck a true identity.
At the top of that list is Bartz and Boko. Bartz and Boko is an exceptional card once you’ve developed your board. A 4/3 for two mana is a fantastic rate, and you get to remove an opposing Creature when Bartz and Boko enters as well. Mono-green decks can suffer from having a lack of ways to kill opposing bombs, and this card checks that box.
Another reward for sticking with a heavy Bird theme is Traveling Chocobo. Traveling Chocobo is your best source of card advantage. Unfortunately, though, Traveling Chocobo doesn’t actually let you cast Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo or Gysahl Greens from the top of your deck. As such, you have a decent number of cards that will halt your ability to chain spells together.
Lastly, Lifecraft Engine acts as a Glorious Anthem for all of your Birds. Having this effect attached to a burly Vehicle is nice.
Potential Additions
Ultimately, as cool as this deck is, it doesn’t seem the most competitive. It has a very streamlined gameplan, so it can beat up on other slower brews and has a decent shot versus midrange shells. The problem is that aggressive red decks are absurdly popular right now.
Nearly every one of your Creatures dies to Burst Lightning and Torch the Tower. You have no Instant-speed removal, and your Creatures don’t block particularly well. Racing Monstrous Rage out of mono-red or grinding through Cori-Steel Cutter from Izzet Prowess are both nearly impossible tasks.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that a Birds deck can’t make a splash in Standard. This shell is a good starting point but likely needs some refinement in order to have a better shot in a competitive environment.
Likely the easiest way to add some more power to the strategy is to open up the door for other colors. In blue, Mockingbird is a flexible card that retains its Bird type even if you copy a Creature. Adding Mockingbird would increase your chances of having multiple copies of Sazh’s Chocobo early, which gives you your best shot of putting your opponent under immense pressure.
In white, Aven Interrupter and Ambrosia Whiteheart give you solid tempo plays to make at Instant speed. Ambrosia Whiteheart can bounce Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo to generate additional value.
If you go all out and add both colors, you get access to Choco, Seeker of Paradise, which threatens to run away with the game the turn it comes down. Assuming you have a decent number of Birds in play, Choco provides good card selection.
Plus, Sidequest: Raise a Chocobo, Gysahl Greens, Sazh’s Chocobo, and Chocobo Racetrack all utilize Landfall. With a big board, Choco may put in a bunch of Lands when you attack, adding a ton of extra power to the board out of nowhere.
Playing white and blue does come at a cost regarding consistency in your manabase. Nonetheless, if you stick with the Birds theme, Cavern of Souls can help you out. Starting Town is also a solid new addition to Standard that boosts the manabase of assertive multicolor decks.
White and blue even let you play cards like Dazzling Denial and Sheltered by Ghosts as interactive elements. There’s a lot of room for exploration within this shell. We look forward to seeing how players innovate and if Bird typal can make an impact long-term in Standard in the coming months.
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