Look, I’ll just admit it, I’m a Timmy/Johnny. I like big, flashy cards, but I like to use them in intricate combo-ish ways. I like my formats punctuated by sheer midranginess with burst of explosive finishes. Yes, I was a big [card]Birthing Pod[/card] fan in Modern, why do you ask?
It’s not often I get to play with these style decks, especially in Standard. But, I think Battle for Zendikar may have given us a card with enough explosive combo potential to satisfy my cravings.
This card feels dangerous. It really feels like it has potential to be one of the best cards in the set.
The ability to untap a creature is something we usually pay for ([card]Kiora’s Follower[/card] for example, costs UG), and this grants us the ability to do so for no additional cost, possibly many times a turn. You can also use fetchlands to lock down an attacker or blocker on your opponent’s turn, and in addition, if you don’t have a functional target, Scry 1 isn’t exactly a poor runner up ability.
Imagine the late game tempo you can generate by dropping a fetch to Scry 1, making sure you dig towards the card you need, then activating it on your opponent’s turn to tap down his best attacker. Or, if you have the advantage, slowly accumulating fetch lands until you can pop two or three at the end of your opponent’s turn, tapping down the opposing team so you can alpha strike for the win. Isn’t that awesome and versatile? Think of it this way, with Retreat on the board, all of your lands can be Temples or every land drop turns your mana dork into a [card]Lotus Cobra[/card].
This has my Johnny-senses tingling, but my inner Timmy wants more. So, how about we just use this card with a fetchland to power out a turn four Ulamog.
[deck title=Travis Hall –Sound the Retreat]
[Lands]
4 Windswept Heath
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Flooded Strand
4 Forest
1 Island
3 Plains
1 Mountain
3 Canopy Vista
1 Lumbering Falls
1 Cinder Glade
2 Prairie Stream
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Shaman of Forgotten Ways
2 Dragonlord Ojutai
3 Dragonlord Atarka
2 Greenwarden of Murasa
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Kiora, Master of the Depths
1 Valorous Stance
2 Stasis Snare
1 Quarantine Field
4 Retreat to Coralhelm
2 See the Unwritten
3 Treasure Cruise
[/Spells]
[/deck]
Before we go any further, I want to point out something. One of the most subtly important decisions you will make every game is “Do I crack this fetchland?” This deck will require you to consider every time you crack a fetch, because with [card]Retreat to Coralhelm[/card] on the board, every land drop is a valuable resource. You will want to run 10-12 fetchlands in your deck, maybe more.
Okay, so let’s take a visit to Magical Christmas land, shall we?
Turn 1: land.
Turn 2: land, [card]Rattleclaw Mystic[/card].
Turn 3: tap 2 lands and Rattleclaw, play Retreat. Drop fetch, untap Rattleclaw, make a mana , fetch a land, untap Rattleclaw, make a mana, tap land, play [card]Shaman of Forgotten Ways[/card].
Turn 4: Tap [card]Rattleclaw Mystic[/card] and [card]Shaman of Forgotten Ways[/card] (3). Play a fetch, untap Shaman with the Retreat trigger, then tap again (5). Crack the fetch, untapping the Shaman and tapping again (7). Tap three of your four lands (10), cast Ulamog, laugh maniacally as your opponent fills their pants with fudge.
While this is probably the top end of what the deck is capable of, the consolation combos aren’t exactly shabby either. Rattleclaw into Shaman, or Rattleclaw into Retreat into a turn four fetchland, Or Rattleclaw into Kiora are all enough for a turn four [card]Dragonlord Atarka[/card]. [card]Hangarback Walker[/card] grows exponentially with Retreat on the board, and the untap clause can also be used with timely fetchland activations to make [card]Dragonlord Ojutai[/card] practically unkillable. A pair of [card]See the Unwritten[/card] can help you find your game enders, and if you manage to hit Greenwarden, you can chain [card]See the Unwritten[/card] multiple times.
Quality removal is scarce across the format, but [card]Stasis Snare[/card] should do a decent [card]Oblivion Ring[/card] impersonation until you can power up a [card]Quarantine Field[/card].
If it all goes to hell, and you’re topdecking, Retreat can also dig into your best cards, or allow you to stall by cracking a fetch to tap down their best creature during their main phase. It should ensure that your late game is better than your opponents.
Okay, we’ve witnessed the potential power of [card]Retreat to Coralhelm[/card] in Standard, but what about Modern? Well, Modern has this already-good card called [card]Knight of the Reliquary[/card]…
[deck title=Travis Hall – Knights in Coralhelm]
[Lands]
4 Windswept Heath
4 Flooded Strand
4 Temple Garden
4 Breeding Pool
3 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
1 Plains
2 Forest
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Soaring Seacliff
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spellskite
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Retreat to Coralhelm
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
3 Bring to Light
2 Wargate
2 Remand
[/Spells]
[/deck]
The combo is fairly simple. Use [card]Knight of the Reliquary[/card] and [card]Retreat to Coralhelm[/card] to snag the lands from your deck, growing the Knight until you finish up with a [card]Sejiri Steppe[/card] or [card]Soaring Seacliff[/card] to attack for the win. You can do this on turn four, or as early as turn three if you start with a mana dork. The deck fills out with Wargate and [card]Bring to Light[/card] as tutors for the combo pieces, and the usual Path to Exile/Remand package to offer some resistance.
These are just the rough drafts for decks that I think may have the potential to compete in the formats. Once I get the chance to actually put in some hours on MTGO running the decks through the gauntlet, I’ll be able to see if there are any new ways to take them. But, I’m excited to give [card]Retreat to Coralhelm[/card] a whirl. It’s been impressive (and I think the other Retreats may have a place in Standard as well, but that’s for later).
If you like my suggestions, you can follow me on Twitter: @travishall456. I throw around random observations and deck ideas every day. You can also hear me on the [card]Horde of Notions[/card] podcast discussing deck ideas for FNM level events and the PPTQ grinders.
Travis Hall is a resident Mana D rogue deck brewer with an unhealthy addiction to Heartless Summoning and Birthing Pod.