There are many ways of making decks in the format. Some switch decks frequently to try different flavors, while others stick to their favourite to tweak & tune. Resident lands enthusiast Tuomas brings us an insight on the latter.
I’ve been wanting to see more European Highlander content for a while now and thought, maybe I should just do it myself. I’ve written one report in Finnish but wanted to cater to a broader audience this time.
We have a biweekly Highlander league here in Turku, and I thought it might be interesting to write about my league games leading up to our LGS’s bigger tournament on 1/2/2025.
For the past few years, I’ve been playing around with different Fastbond decks. Recently, Iooked at Aftermath Analyst. I thought there was potential, but I hadn’t really found a good shell for it. I tested a few ideas, but nothing clicked. That was until I saw this Top 8 list from Tampere Highlander Havoc III: https://moxfield.com/decks/wd8zxB9VBE2Avfzlm6h9hw
I was very impressed with the list and wanted to try it myself. The only thing I thought was missing was The One Ring, so I added that, shaved a land, and started testing.
After a few games, I noticed something: I wasn’t really comboing like I expected to. Instead, I was grinding out games with Field of the Dead or generating a bunch of Marit Lages. I wondered if I was just missing something in how I navigated the game or if it was just my playstyle. Either way, I decided to make some changes. I cut some combo pieces and added more interaction. I also realized that Oath of Druids fits really well with the deck’s strategy. It’s also one of the most powerful cards in the format.
This is where I ended up: https://moxfield.com/decks/4vg-pkqYIkq0VX6IL70WDQ
2.1.2025
Match 1 vs. UW-Control
Game 1
I knew beforehand that I would be playing against some kind of slow control deck, so I kept a hand with lands, Entomb, and some interaction. I immediately Entomb for Life from the Loam to ensure I don’t miss any land drops. I dredge Life from the Loam a couple of times, Wasteland a Celestial Colonnade, my Prismatic Ending removes opponent’s The One Ring, and I counter Dig Through Time with Muddle the Mixture. Mana Drain takes care of Teferi, Hero of Dominaria (though I don’t use the mana for anything). At some point, when the opponent taps out, I cast Crop Rotation to fetch Field of the Dead.
Opponent plays Shorikai, Genesis Engine while I start making zombies and applying pressure. I find Crucible of Worlds, but it’s immediately removed with Fracturing Identity. My Primeval Titan meets a counterspell. Opponent casts Fact or Fiction, revealing Sword to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Sunset Revelry, and two lands. I split and he takes Path to Exile, Sunset Revelry and a land. Sunset Revelry makes some tokens. Opponent is now able to crew Shorikai, Genesis Engine, so I wipe their pilots and humans away with Toxic Deluge for 1.
At this point, it looks like I’m slowly grinding them out. I have a steady stream of zombies, and Shifting Woodland is ready to copy Primeval Titan. However, opponent topdecks Back to Basics while I’m tapped out. I do have a Forest in play, but I can’t cast any spells. I started missing land drops and the zombie engine stalls. I draw Vesuva and copy the Forest. Now I’m able to dredge and play Life from the Loam. Unfortunately, the opponent has found Force of Negation.
Then, the opponent draws Wasteland, and now the Crucible of Worlds from Fracturing Identity becomes a significant threat. The opponent starts destroying my utility lands: first goes Field of the Dead, then Dark Depths. I had played Spelunking at some point before Back to Basics, and now I draw Simic Growth Chamber. With two Forests and the untapped bounce land, I’m able to activate Shifting Woodland, copy Dark Depths, and make a 20/20. Unfortunately, the opponent has found all the answers by this point, including Cryptic Command, which bounces Marit Lage. I think he also still had Path to Exile from earlier. I’m locked, and soon the opponent cycles Shark Typhoon. I concede to save time.
Game 2
We both start slow, and time is running low. We don’t even try to finish the game.
0-1-1 (0-1)
Match 2 vs. GB Midrange
Game 1
I’m on the play and keep a hand with Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, Thespian’s Stage, and Urza’s Cave. The only relevant card Gitaxian Probe reveals is Witherbloom Command. My Ponder shows me Oath of Druids. I play land-go for a couple of turns. Opponent has mana problems. His Malevolent Rumble misses, and he has to use Witherbloom Command to find his third land. No known answer for Oath of Druids anymore.
I play yet another land and pass with Thespian’s Stage, Urza’s Cave, Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, and a random land. At the end of my turn, the opponent casts Orcish Bowmaster. He sees my incoming 20/20, and Traverse the Ulvenwald finds him Karakas. I still use Urza’s Cave to search for Dark Depths, take my turn, play a land, cast Oath of Druids, and still have enough mana left to make a 20/20. Opponent can’t answer Oath of Druids. He plays more creatures and passes. Oath of Druids finds Lumra, Bellow of the Woods. One of the milled lands is Wasteland, which answers Karakas, and the opponent dies soon after.
Game 2
My first plays are Trade Routes and Walk-in Closet. Opponent starts with Mosswood Dreadknight and Demonic Tutor but misses his third land. I draw extra cards and keep playing lands, but don’t get anything relevant going. I am starting to worry about my life total, so I use Sword to Plowshares on Mosswood Dreadknight. Eventually, the opponent finds his third land and plays Opposition Agent (probably the card he Demonic Tutored for). I don’t get hit by the Agent immediately, but my hand is now full of different tutors. Opponent keeps attacking, adds Grist, the Hunger Tide to the board and starts making insects. I keep drawing cards with Trade Routes and making land drops.
Finally, we reach a situation where I have a lot of lands, and the opponent is tapped out. At the end of his turn, I return Otawara, Soaring City to my hand with Trade Routes (had to play it early in the game as my only blue land), bounce Opposition Agent, untap, cast Primeval Titan, and search for Field of the Dead and Glacial Chasm. This stabilizes the board, but my life total is too low to survive Grist, the Hunger Tide‘s ultimate.
Game 3
I draw both Thespian’s Stage and Dark Depths by turn 4 without any tutors. Opponent concedes to the 20/20.
2-1 (1-1)
Match 3: vs. 4c Thopter Sword
Game 1
On the play, I have a slow hand with lands, Balance, Muddle the Mixture, and Splendid Reclamation. Opponent starts with Volcanic Island, followed by Ancient Tomb and Broadside Bombardiers. I use Balance as a removal spell. The opponent plays Urza’s Saga and passes. I have nothing going on, so I transmute Muddle the Mixture into Oath of Druids. Opponent ticks up Urza’s Saga, plays a land, and passes.
I cast Oath of Druids, and to my surprise, it resolves. At the end of my turn, the opponent makes a construct. He untaps, makes another construct, and tutors for Soul-Guide Lantern with Urza’s Saga‘s third chapter. The first construct attacks, and I get a turn with Oath of Druids unanswered.
My Oath of Druids trigger mills almost all the relevant cards in my deck: Field of the Dead, Dark Depths, Fastbond, and Glacial Chasm. I get Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath, which puts Talon Gates of Madara into play. Uro then phases out. I’m already thinking that I will have a hard time winning, but my opponent makes a mistake. My card for the turn is Expedition Map. I play and crack it immediately. Opponent doesn’t use Soul-Guide Lantern. I search for Echoing Deeps, and now he doesn’t have a chance to remove my graveyard when Echoing Deeps comes into play as a Field of the Dead. I get a zombie and pass.
Opponent plays Lurrus of the Dream-Den, attacks with the constructs, and, once again, doesn’t use Soul-Guide Lantern. Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath comes back, and now my Oath of Druids hits Aftermath Analyst. I cast Splendid Reclamation. Opponent tries to use Soul-Guide Lantern, but I respond by sacrificing Aftermath Analyst, getting all the lands back, and creating a billion zombies. Opponent gets one turn to try to find Balance or Toxic Deluge. He misses and dies to the zombie horde.
Game 2
The opponent starts with Goblin Engineer, searching for Sword of the Meek. I Crop Rotate into Bojuka Bog and exile the sword. Opponent proceeds to cast Thopter Foundry and a spicy Time Sieve. We have to end the game early because the store is closing soon, and we both feel we won’t finish the game in time.
1-0-1 (2-1)
Aftermath
I make some small changes for the next installment:
– Gitaxian Probe
– Golgari Rot Farm
– Abrupt Decay
– Tranquil Thicket
+ Leyline Binding
+ Get Lost
+ Cephalid Coliseum
I counted wrong and went down to 100 cards. Gitaxian Probe is good, but I don’t feel it does enough in a deck like this. Abrupt Decay and Get Lost fill a similar role, but I feel Get Lost has slightly better coverage. Three bounce lands and Lotus Field was maybe a little too much. Golgari Rot Farm gets cut for Leyline Binding, which was something I just forgot to include. I also like to have a kill card for Fastbond loops. Cephalid Coliseum has been my choice for a while, because I think it has good utility in other scenarios as well. Cycling land was an easy switch.
16.1.2025
Deck for second league: https://moxfield.com/decks/8pO_CqB17EKOkz2gGn0wWA
Match 1 vs. Sultai
Game 1
I’m on the play and cast Crucible of Worlds on turn 2 with Mox Diamond. I Daze my opponent’s Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel. Opponent plays Barrowgoyf, which I remove with Leyline Binding. I play a surveil land and see Zuran Orb. I decide to mill it to get delirium easier later. When I reach four lands, I try Scapeshift, which surprisingly resolves. I search for Dark Depths, Thespian’s Stage, Shifting Woodland, and Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth.
Opponent answers with Grist, the Hunger Tide and starts making Insects. I go for the 20/20, but the opponent removes it with Petty Theft. I play Oko, Thief of Crowns and make a Food. Grist and insect deal with Oko. Next turn, I get to make a new 20/20 with Shifting Woodland.
Now the game gets interesting. I start attacking with Marit Lage, while holding up the possibility of making a new one. I draw combo cards, Amulet of Vigor, Squandered Resources and play them, while my opponent keeps finding flying blockers. First, Brazen Borrower, then Emperor of Bones, who returns Brazen Borrower. My life total starts to drop as my opponent keeps attacking with all he has.
Finally, we reach a point where my opponent is attacking with a 4/4 Emperor of Bones and two Insects. I’m at 8 life and have found Urza’s Cave, which I could activate. I consider searching for Glacial Chasm. I know opponent has Subtlety in hand to block Marit Lage. I decide to go down to 2 life, thinking I’m better off using Urza’s Cave more proactively. Opponent then casts Collective Brutality, trying to drain me. I’m forced to crack the Food to survive and can’t do anything else. Grist is also at 5 counters and threatens to kill me next turn.
I draw Lumra. Marit Lage attacks and forces opponent to cast Subtlety to block (and while writing this, I realize I could have won by using Urza’s Cave to find Talon Gates of Madara to phase out the Subtlety). I cast Lumra and sacrifice all my lands. Lumra‘s ETB finds Bojuka Bog, meaning Grist‘s ultimate is no longer a threat. Amulet of Vigor untaps all and I pass Urza’s Cave ready to go. Opponent finally bricks with a flying blocker, and I can search for Glacial Chasm if needed. Opponent concedes.
Game 2
I keep a hand with Exploration, Crucible of Worlds, Walk-in Closet, one fetch land, and two other lands. Opponent starts with Ghost Vacuum. My only green source is through the fetch land. I go for Turn 1 Exploration and Turn 2 Crucible of Worlds. Ghost Vacuum eats the fetch land and I fail to draw my fourth land. Soon the opponent finds Opposition Agent and the game is over for me.
Game 3
I keep a relatively slow hand. Opponent starts again with Ghost Vacuum, but this time it doesn’t do anything. My first play is Turn 3 Oko, Thief of Crowns. I start making Foods and turning them into Elks. Opponent Entombs for Archon of Cruelty, but fortunately, he has no reanimation spell. Overlord of the Balemurk enters with impending and returns the Archon of Cruelty to hand. I cast Malevolent Rumble, miss with lands, but get Oath of Druids.
My Inquisition of Kozilek reveals only expensive cards: Archon of Cruelty, Dig Through Time, and Virtue of Persistence. I have found Mana Drain when my opponent goes for Dig Through Time. Next turn I forget I have 8 extra mana and Wargate for 0 to find Field of the Dead—I didn’t even have 7 lands yet.
While all this is happening, I’ve been attacking with Elks, getting my opponent already down to 3 life. Lochtwain Scorn removes one Elk. Opponent has been flooding, so he casts Virtue of Persistence. I’m now forced to use my Enlightened Tutor to find Leyline Binding to remove the big enchantment. Opponent then proceeds to hardcast Archon of Cruelty. Overlord of Balemurk also becomes a creature. Oko, Thief of Crowns turns them both to Elks, starting with the Archon of Cruelty. Oko, Thief of Crowns has like three dices of loyalty counters already, so opponent doesn’t even try to attack it.
Now the opponent has dealt with my Elks and has more creatures than I do, so it’s time to play Oath of Druids. I remove Ghost Vacuum with Prismatic Ending. At this point, I’m also getting zombies from Field of the Dead and using them as blockers. Opponent delays Oath of Druids for a turn with Petty Theft. The game has been going on for a while, and time is now called.
I begin extra turn 1 by casting Oath of Druids and passing. Opponent doesn’t do anything relevant and passes back. Turn 3, I get my Oath of Druids trigger and hit Primeval Titan. Opponent responds with Opposition Agent. I decline to search. Opposition Agent also turns into an Elk. I also milled Dark Depths and now get to make a 20/20 with Shifting Woodland I had in play. Turn 4, opponent just plays Barrowgoyf and Six, then passes.
Turn 5, Oath of Druids gets me Aftermath Analyst. I also milled Talon Gates of Madara. Then I punt the win away. I think my opponent has just one blocker for flyers, Brazen Borrower, but forget that Six also has reach. I don’t use Oko, Thief of Crowns and just attack with the 20/20. Opponent tells me he has two blockers. Now I can get rid of only one by using Aftermath Analyst to return Talon Gates of Madara. Marit Lage gets blocked and the game ends in a draw. Besides using Oko, Thief of Crowns, I could have attacked with Primeval Titan and searched for Echoing Deeps to copy Talon Gates of Madara.
1-1-1 (0-0-1)
Match 2 vs. Mono Red
Game 1
On the draw, I keep a hand with Spelunking, Mana Drain, Oboro, Palace in the Clouds, Otawara, Soaring City, Waterlogged Grove, and Selesnya Sanctuary. Opponent starts with Mountain into Kellan, Planar Trailblazer. I play Oboro. Opponent doesn’t have a second land, casts Mishra’s Research Desk, and attacks. I play Otawara, Soaring City and now have Mana Drain ready.
Opponent doesn’t draw a land and misses with Mishra’s Research Desk. I draw Scapeshift and play Waterlogged Grove. I consider playing Spelunking, but decide just to keep Mana Drain up. Now opponent finds his second land and tries to cast Smuggler’s Copter. I use Mana Drain.
I get my turn and have to spend some time figuring out how to get to 2 green mana. I use the Mana Drain mana and Waterlogged Grove to cast Spelunking, put Selesnya Sanctuary into play. I return Waterlogged Grove and play it again as a land for the turn. Now I have enough green for Scapeshift, which finds Dark Depths and Thespian’s Stage. Spelunking allows me to make 20/20 immediately. Opponent succumbs to 20/20 next turn.
Game 2
I keep a hand with Urza’s Saga, Scapeshift, Leyline Binding, a fetch land, Tundra, a fourth land, and something irrelevant. The opponent starts with Clockwork Percussionist. My fetch finds Underground Mortuary. Opponent plays Kellan, Planar Trailblazer and fetches for a surveil land. I am thinking about playing Tundra to have Leyline Binding ready but I decide to go for Turn 4 Dark Depths and play Urza’s Saga.
Opponent plays Seasoned Pyromancer and makes two Elementals. I play a land and pass. Opponent attacks with everything and I make a construct to block Kellan, Planar Trailblazer. After combat opponent plays Phyrexian Dragon Engine. I get to my turn, float mana with Urza’s Saga, find Amulet of Vigor, play my land, Scapeshift for 3, and find Dark Depths, Thespian’s Stage, and a bounce land. I resolve my Amulet of Vigor triggers first, untap everything and make a 20/20. I pass with only Marit Lage on board. The opponent yet again attacks with everything. I block Phyrexian Dragon Engine. He doesn’t have enough burn spells or a flying blocker and dies again to 20/20.
2-0 (1-0-1)
Match 3 4C Goodstuff (No White)
Game 1
I keep a solid seven with Mox Diamond, Malevolent Rumble, Wargate, Gifts Ungiven, and lands. I play Turn 1 Malevolent Rumble and take a land. Turn 2 I draw Dark Depths. I know opponent doesn’t play white and probably has limited answers to Marit Lage. I Wargate for Thespian’s Stage. Opponent plays Wrenn and Six.
I play Dark Depths and pass. Opponent uses Wrenn and Six, plays a land, and passes back. At the end of turn, I make a 20/20. Unfortunately, the opponent has Petty Theft. I play a land and use an Eldrazi Spawn to cast Gifts Ungiven, searching for Life from the Loam, Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath, Wasteland, and Shifting Woodland. I get Uro and Woodland.
Opponent then plays Emperor of Bones and exiles my Life from the Loam. I remove Emperor of Bones with Leyline Binding and tap out to cast Squandered Resources. Opponent counters it with Daze. Now I have delirium for Shifting Woodland.
Opponent plays some cantrips. I get my turn and just pass back with mana up to make another 20/20. Opponent now casts Demonic Tutor. I think for a long time, debating whether to make the 20/20 now or wait. I decide to wait. I’m sure my opponent finds an answer but now there is a change I don’t need to lose a land.
At the end of turn I attempt to activate Shifting Woodland. Opponent exiles Dark Depths with Cling to Dust. For the rest of the game, I don’t draw any relevant action, Cling to Dust keeps Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath in check. Soon the opponent ultimates Wrenn and Six and starts retracing Demonic Tutor. I see no way to victory anymore and concede.
Game 2
I keep a solid hand with lands, Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath, Trade Routes, Duress, and Daze. I immediately make a mistake by fetching Bayou instead of Underground Sea. Duress shows me Deathrite Shaman, Tarmogoyf, Dress Down, and some counterspell, which I take. Opponent starts with Deathrite Shaman (I would have Dazed it).
I deploy Trade Routes. Opponent plays Tarmogoyf while keeping Deathrite Shaman up. I play Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath and start drawing cards with Trade Routes. Opponent keeps attacking with Tarmogoyf, while missing land drops. Deathrite Shaman keeps my graveyard low on cards. Eventually Abrupt Decay destroys Trade Routes.
I find Teferi, Time Raveler and bounce Tarmogoyf. Deathrite Shaman attacks and kills the planeswalker. Opponent probably played cantrips and kept Tarmogoyf in hand. I Regrowth my planeswalker and bounce Deathrite Shaman. The board is now empty.
Opponent cantrips some more and plays Tarmogoyf into my Daze. Although I might have gotten tricked. Next turn the opponent finds his fourth land and plays Minsc and Boo, Timeless Heroes. Now I’m under a such pressure that I go for a desperate Scapeshift for 5, finding Dark Depths, Thespian’s Stage, Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, Glacial Chasm, and a surveil land. The opponent shoots the hamster at me to draw 4 cards. I make a 20/20 and let Glacial Chasm die. I go to combat and opponent immediately removes the 20/20. I die to hamster beats soon after.
0-2 (1-1-1)
Overall 3-2-1
I was happy with the changes I’d made. The deck was performing well, and while I made a few mistakes along the way, I felt good about the direction I was going. The games were challenging, and each one taught me something new, but there was still plenty to improve.
Ahead of me were the upcoming league games and the main weekend tournament—the real test of everything I’d worked on. The stakes would be higher, the competition tougher, and the pressure on. Would the deck hold up? Could I avoid the same mistakes and navigate the game states more effectively?
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