CardShark Content - Vincent Lovaglio (2/2/2004)

As promised, today I am presenting a Mono Green deck for play in the new Block Constructed Season. Green, traditionally having the role of the efficient and undercosted creatures becomes a more controlling version in Mirrodin.

However, Mono Green Hate is not your normal control deck that focuses on destroying creatures. With the artifact-rich environment known as Mirrodin, MGH focuses on destroying the opponent's artifacts, which especially proves useful against White Weenie and Affinity.


Now, before I make the deck I would like to review what makes a control deck a control deck.


1. Card Advantage: For those of you who are thinking, ´´Green has no way to draw cards!´´ You are right. However, card advantage is not only about drawing cards. For example, Viridian Shaman

Viridian Shaman
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Elf Shaman Rarity: U Number: 139 Artist: Scott M. Fischer Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: When Viridian Shaman comes into play, destroy target artifact.

creates 2 for 1 card advantage because it gives us an efficient creature as well as artifact destruction.


2. Mass Removal: Mass removal is another way to generate card advantage because it rids you of opposing threats. We will use the most effective mass removal spell in Mirrodin, Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

, which also has great synergy with Molder Slug

Molder Slug
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 125 Artist: Heather Hudson Power: 4 Toughness: 6 Text: At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact.

against Affinity and Troll Ascetic

Troll Ascetic
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Troll Shaman Rarity: R Number: 135 Artist: Puddnhead Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: Troll Ascetic can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. 1G: Regenerate Troll Ascetic.

because of its ability to regenerate.


3. Ability to stall: Most controlling decks use removal spells such as Terror

Terror
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Black Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Ron Spencer Text: Buries target creature. Cannot target black creatures or artifact creatures.

to stall until the late game. MGH uses a combination of artifact removal and efficient creatures like Troll Ascetic

Troll Ascetic
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Troll Shaman Rarity: R Number: 135 Artist: Puddnhead Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: Troll Ascetic can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. 1G: Regenerate Troll Ascetic.

and Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Greg Staples Text: When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

to stall.


Next, I would like to examine what would make MGH the deck to play at your first Mirrodin Block Constructed tournament.


1. It rolls over the most popular deck: Without a doubt, Affinity will be the most played deck in MBC and with all of the artifact removal that Mono Green Hate packs, the match is pretty much a bye.


2. It rolls over another deck that will see play: MGH also beats White Weenie because your artifact removal can kill their equipment, enabling your creatures to go into battle that they will definitely win against White's smaller and less effective creatures.


3. It is mono-colored: The deck is all green so the mana base is very stable. You can also splash a color without fear making MGH very versatile.


4. It is very synergetic: This will be explained in my card by card explanation of the deck.


And before I end, I would like to give my decklist of MGH as a testing tool for your gauntlet.


4 Molder Slug

Molder Slug
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 125 Artist: Heather Hudson Power: 4 Toughness: 6 Text: At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact.

: A killer against Affinity that has positive interaction with both Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Greg Staples Text: When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

and Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

.
4 Troll Ascetic

Troll Ascetic
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Troll Shaman Rarity: R Number: 135 Artist: Puddnhead Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: Troll Ascetic can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. 1G: Regenerate Troll Ascetic.

: Without a doubt, the best creature in the block.
4 Viridian Shaman

Viridian Shaman
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Elf Shaman Rarity: U Number: 139 Artist: Scott M. Fischer Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: When Viridian Shaman comes into play, destroy target artifact.

: 2 for 1 card advantage.
4 Oxidize

Oxidize
	Set: Darksteel Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 79 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Destroy target artifact. It can't be regenerated.

: The most efficient artifact removal spell in the block.
4 Pulse of the Tangle

Pulse of the Tangle
	Set: Darksteel Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 80 Artist: Wayne England Text: Put a 3/3 Green Beast token into play. Then if target opponent controls more creatures than you, return Pulse of the Tangle to its owner's hand.

: In my opinion, better than Call of the Herd

Call of the Herd
	Set: Odyssey Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 231 Artist: Carl Critchlow Text: Put a 3/3 green Elephant creature token into play. Flashback 3G (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

, especially in a controlling deck.
4 Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Greg Staples Text: When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

: Has great synergy with Molder Slug

Molder Slug
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 125 Artist: Heather Hudson Power: 4 Toughness: 6 Text: At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact.

and Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

.
4 Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

: Best mass removal spell in the set.
4 Deconstruct

Deconstruct
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 118 Artist: D. Alexander Gregory Text: Destroy target artifact. Then add GGG to your mana pool.

: Great synergy with all of your three drops including Troll Ascetic

Troll Ascetic
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Troll Shaman Rarity: R Number: 135 Artist: Puddnhead Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: Troll Ascetic can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. 1G: Regenerate Troll Ascetic.

.
4 Predator's Strike

Predator's Strike
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 2 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 128 Artist: Tony Szczudlo Text: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains trample until end of turn.

: Your only removal spell and the only card that I feel should not be in the deck. This could be taken out for a possible splash card.
24 Forest

Forest
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add G to your mana pool.

Until the next time.
P.S. Feedback

Feedback
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Enchant Enchantment Rarity: U Artist: Quinton Hoover Text: Feedback does 1 damage to controller of target enchantment during its controller's upkeep.

at my e-mail address is greatly appreciated.

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