Random Card of the Day #4

Random Card of the Day #4:

Strength of Cedars - 4G

Instant - Arcane

Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of lands you control.

Initial thoughts:

If it's a high cost buff spell, I compare it to Might of Oaks. It's a 5 cost instant that can be nifty in combat. I don't know about using this to save your creature from a Searing Blaze, though. If the creature was small enough to be burned, it probably wasn't worth saving with a 5 cost card. If the creature was large enough to not be burned, it was probably met with the fate of Go for the Throat. I mean it's a 5 converted mana cost card. This would see play mid-game, but for a 5 cost card, this is not what I would like to be playing.

How many more times will this be more relevant over Giant Growth? Typically Giant Growth alone turns the tide of combat in your favor. At 5 converted mana cost your creature is most likely getting at least +5/+5 until end of turn, but for one cheaper you get +7/+7 with Might of Oaks. So if you have eight lands out, why are you playing this card instead of something like Rude Awakening? Or for one more play Tooth and Nail.

Okay. It's an arcane spell. That means you can splice onto it. Splicing Blessed Breath won't help that much after blockers have been declared, not to mention it would go on the stack and would still die if your opponent is holding any removal. Splicing Consuming Vortex is a 9 mana play that might win you the game, but it's nine mana. I would sooner play Untamed Might for the versatility of the X cost in the card than get the extra +1/+1 for playing a 5 cost card. Want to play in response to removal? Play Vines of Vastwood.

Like any buff card, it can find it's tricks with swinging with a bunch of little creatures. Seven Eldrazi Spawn could be funny if you pumped one of them. But as aforementioned Untamed Might would be better as you could sacrifice the blocked Eldrazi to make one bigger. It won't find use in any infect decks as Infect typically goes for a quick win with Mutagenic Growth. 5 converted mana cost is just hard to put with a Green buff card.

It only requires one green so I guess it's splashable? I wouldn't splash green for this card. I would rather splash Gaea's Might instead. Or probably just stick to Giant Growth. Splash Red, make it a land, and you have Kessig Wolf Run.

How to fix this card:
Make this thing give the creature trample. Or give it a splice cost.

Fixed Strenth of Cedars - 4G

Instant - Arcane

Target creature gains +X/+X and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of lands you control.

Splice onto Arcane - 4G

A really bad card. It has it's uses, but every other card just does it better. 1/5