Welcome all to the Daily Dose of Throne of Eldraine! Today I get to write one of my favourite articles of preview season. It’s time for the guide to combat tricks and removal cards by colour for Throne of Eldraine. One of the best things you can do to prepare for prerelease weekend is knowing what to look out for. More specifically, you don’t want to be surprised when a combat trick ruins your game. Or a mass removal spell wiping your entire board. The more knowledge you have the better. Knowing what spells your opponents could have available can help give you a leg up on your opponent.
White Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
The great part about this set is that the Adventure cards provide more combat tricks than normal. Giant Killer will often stay in your hand until one of your opponents’ best threats is removed. Ardenvale Tactician allows you to win the tempo game by tapping down two creatures. The biggest of all to watch out for is Realm-Cloaked Giant, but at mythic rare you won’t see it that often. Shepherd of the Flock is one to watch out for when it comes to something that could be played for one mana to stop one of your removal cards, or instantly allow them to go on another adventure with one of their on the battlefield creatures. Silverflame Squire is one of those combat tricks that can untap a creature, so watch out for that.
Glass Casket and Trapped in the Tower are two of the best two-mana removal cards in the set, but both at sorcery speed. If you happen to play those, beware of True Love’s Kiss to instantly remove them and get back the creature underneath them. Shining Armor acts like a combat trick for Knights. Righteousness and Outflank are to combat tricks for one mana that could surprise you. Finally, Rally for the Throne could provide two instant blockers, so beware of making that alpha attack if they have three mana available.
Blue Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
As usual, blue is lacking in cards when it comes to combat tricks and removal cards. Blue does have three counterspells in the set, but they all cast three mana in the form of Didn’t Say Please, Hypnotic Sprite and Mystical Dispute. Just be careful on the last one listed there if you are playing blue spells. Blue also has three ways to bounce permanents. At two mana you must look out for Brazen Borrower and Run Away Together, although the latter bounces one of their own creatures as well. (This could be beneficial if any of them can go on an adventure) Turn into a Pumpkin bounces any permanent, but cost four mana. Blue also has a couple of Flash spells to watch out for. So Tiny can shrink a creature during combat and Faerie Vandal can provide an unwanted blocker. The only way to pseudo-remove creatures in blue is with enchantments like Frogify and Charmed Sleep.
Black Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
All the glory of black comes from removal spells, with only one actual power boosting combat trick in the entire set in the form of Lash of Thorns which is more removal than pumping your creature. When it does come to removal, black has it in spades. Bake into a Pie is a straight removal spell for only four mana that provides you a little something extra afterwards. Murderous Rider is another straight removal spell that also hits planeswalkers (even though there are only 3 in the set) and provides you with a creature the next turn.
Epic Downfall and Reave Soul are both cheap sorcery speed removal spells, but they will both come into play during a Limited game. Festive Funeral is something to look out for at five mana, which should make you want to count the number of cards in graveyards to see if your creature would survive it. Finally, Witch’s Vengeance is one of the few sweepers in the deck, but can be used to pinpoint its doom to a particular creature type. (Watch out for this one Knights!)
Red Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
As usual, red has the most spells that deal direct damage to a creature of player. Some of them can only hit creatures like Scorching Dragonfire and Searing Barrage. Redcap Melee is an interesting cheap 4 damage spell, but could come at a price you might not want to pay. Others allow you to hit any target like Bonecrusher Giant, Slaying Fire and the game ending Sundering Stroke. Don’t underestimate the power of Fling to kill you on the spot. (If you can survive to get to seven mana) Red does have a few pump spells to help them out in the form of Rimrock Knight and Barge In. Beware of Embercleave coming out of nowhere as a combat trick to kill you out of nowhere. Red also has some situational removal spells at sorcery speed in Opportunistic Dragon and the artifact killer Embereth Shieldbreaker.
Green Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
Green as usual, doesn’t have many removal cards, but does have some pump spells to watch out for. Garenbrig Carver and Insatiable Appetite can make it so you don’t win the combat war. Return to Nature is the swiss army knife of removal spells for all those permanents that can be pesky on the battlefield like all that sweet Equipment lying around. Outmuscle is the usual green fight card for the set. Fell the Pheasant is situational removal, but should kill pretty much every Flying creature on the battlefield. Kenrith’s Transformation is a two-mana removal spell for a bomb creature that replaces itself thanks to drawing a card when it enters the battlefield. Green has only one flash creature to watch out for in the form of Wildborn Preserver, but most likely they won’t want to block anything with it unless it survives combat.
Multicolour Combat Tricks and Removal Cards
The only actual multicolour spell you need to worry about is Drown in the Loch. It’s a bit deceiving at two mana as it will only most likely be cast later in the game. The best Flash creature in the set is Lochmere Serpent. It will enter the battlefield and eat pretty much whatever you have attacking. Garruk, Cursed Huntsman is a 6-mana sorcery speed removal spell, but still something you need to be aware of as a possibility.
There you have it folks, a Throne of Eldraine Guide to Combat Tricks and Removal Cards by Colour. There aren’t many sweepers in the set, but overall more combat tricks thanks to all the cards going on Adventures. Thanks again for reading the Daily Dose of Throne of Eldraine. Join me again tomorrow as I crack open a prerelease kit and have a practice deck build.
