It seems like every set has a green instant that
grants +2/+2 for a single mana, and incorporates
a new set mechanic somehow. In this case, I'd
say it's fairly effective, as this instant can
turn the tide of combat even when you're tapped
out (and thus your opponent thought it was safe
to block the way he did). If you're using it to
push damage through, paying 2 life to do 2
additional damage seems worth it to me,
especially if you can play this on a creature
with lifelink, infect, or double strike. Sadly,
green doesn't get lifelink or double strike...
but then you don't really need to be playing
green to run Mutagenic Growth, and pump spells
are always best when your opponent doesn't see
them coming, aren't they?
Depending on your point of view, Phyrexia's
victory on Mirrodin marks the death of sanity
and decency in a famous part of the multiverse.
This week, things are also getting crazy in
Magic players' sphere - crazy like a free Giant
Growth in your mono-blue Flying Men deck or your
Kiln Fiend burn deck. Some of the most popular
and powerful spells in the game have been ones
that can be played with things other than mana,
and I expect New Phyrexia's version of the
mechanic to join the pantheon. Just watch out
for Mental Misstep. That thing goes in
mono-green, y'know..
Welcome back readers today’s card of the day
happens to be one of my favorites in New
Phyrexia. The ability to cast a pump spell for
free is somewhat underwhelming until you think
of putting it on an infect creature making your
opponent dead twice as fast. In standard,
extended and eternal I can see this seeing play
in mono green infect pump style decks and I am
eagerly awaiting testing this card, in eternal
there are better pump options but the
ability to cast this free cannot be
overlooked. In casual this is a great pump
option and you can often catch your opponents
unaware, in multiplayer a single pump spell is
not the best option overall. In limited it’s a
solid pump spell that any deck can play although
I don’t know how highly it should be picked.
Overall one of my favorite cards of the set as
it assists mono green infect decks.
Today's card of the day is Mutagenic Growth
which costs one mana or two life to give target
creature +2/+2 until end of turn. In
general only times you'd ever want to play this
instead of Giant Growth is if you have no mana
available or want to pay life for the effect
instead.
Otherwise Giant Growth at a single mana is quite
affordable and readily available making this
extremely situational. It works on the
first turn, but few creatures are worth saving
that early and it is unlikely to help against
something like a Lightning Bolt and overall this
card probably won't see a great deal of play in
Green decks. Other colors may consider
running it with the life payment as the only
option for casting and it is an adequate combat
trick in that role.
For Limited the instant nature and usefulness to
any deck as an offensive boost for damage to the
opponent, additional poison counters with an
Infect creature, combat trick to help destroy an
enemy creature, or possible protection against
damage based removal makes it viable for any
build. In Sealed this can be played even
if Green isn't in your colors as the one life is
worth it to deal two damage to your opponent and
is an even better deal if it adds two poison
counters. For Booster this can be a fairly
early pick as it works with any deck and is
quite versatile making it playable in every
stage of the game.
Welcome to another
week pf New Phyrexia previews here at Pojo.com.
Today we are taking a look at Mutagenic Growth.
Mutagenic Growth costs one green Phyrexian mana.
This means that you can either pay one green
mana for it, or spend 2 life to cast it.
Mutagenic Growth gives a creature +2/+2, and is
an instant.
Mutagenic Growth may almost dethrone Giant Growth only
for the fact that you can cast the pump without
mana. All tapped out? Cast 4 Mutagenic Growths
and give up the eight life, dealing more so.
Your opponent won’t see it coming! Even using
one of them with an infect creature and a Giant
Growth could end the game for your opponent.
Needless to say, an instant favorite for anybody
running green, just for the versatility. And
don’t worry about the life loss. Most green
decks either gain some life along the way, or
kill before the opponent know what hit them.
