6 Battle Card Decks to Test Sieges in Standard
Battle cards, as a concept, provide the advantages of two cards in just a single permanent. However, it is hidden behind its mana cost and defense counters. So in theory, a certain amount of effort will be needed before their theoretical potential in a game is achieved.
For example, an Invasion of Fiora // Marchesa, Resolute Monarch
might be jam-packed with an awesome board wipe effect and a sweet legendary creature. But it is hidden behind six mana and four defense counters, so a bit more management is required than, let’s say, just piling up lore counters on your sagas.
Of course, there are battle cards where the ETB cost alone is more than enough. For these cards, you have the option to simply leave the battle card as is. Invasion of Azgol // Ashen Reaper
, for instance, isn't a particularly universal card when transformed, so you can completely ignore it once casted for its front-facing effect.
But, as we have witnessed in March of the Machine Early Access, just a bit of synergy can already help a lot in mitigating, and sometimes completely eliminating, any inherent disadvantage that battle cards may have. Make no mistake, though. They’re still pretty slow, clunky to use, and typically incompatible with aggro builds. But in practice, when only one card can transform a battle, it essentially “becomes” the transformed battle itself. The investment will thus, more often than not, be almost always just as worth as hitting face, if not worth more.
In addition, March of the Machine also provided a few new toys specifically built to synergize with battle cards. Using these cards, plus a wide selection of sieges, it can be quite possible to freely tweak the focus of a deck towards battle cards, and make it provide value like any other permanent we have been using until now.
Jund Battles
Battle-o-meter: 9/10, very battle card-focused
A battle card-heavy deck that crams every synergistic card available and uses the best value cards for its particular color identity. Being a Jund build, it means that Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw
is an absolute must, and fairly proves that it doesn’t need to be in a dragon deck to start snowballing its advantages. Render Inert is an obligatory addition, as it also cantrips while transforming all of your battle cards.
Perhaps the most crucial piece of the deck is a Cemetery Desecrator
, which can remove defense counters on battle cards both when it comes into play, or dies. Its sturdy 4/4 body can also slam itself into these battles whenever strategically appropriate. Do be wary though, that the mana curve of this deck can be somewhat weird, and it is on the slower side, so good luck with aggro builds out there.
Featured Cards:
Jund Battle
Main 60 cards (22 distinct)
Lands - 24
Main 60 cards (22 distinct)
Lands - 24
Main 60 cards (22 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (16) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.35€0.910.01 | |||
| $12.30€14.5812.04 | |||
| $0.20€0.120.03 | |||
| $0.15€0.130.01 | |||
| Creature (4) | |||
| $0.75 | |||
| Other (16) | |||
| $0.39€0.250.02 | |||
| $0.20€0.120.03 | |||
| $0.84€0.570.02 | |||
| $1.00€0.790.41 | |||
| $0.75€0.600.55 | |||
| $3.09€1.220.10 | |||
| $3.42€3.700.26 | |||
| Land (24) | |||
| $2.22€2.100.64 | |||
| $3.97€2.380.07 | |||
| $10.94 | |||
| $5.66€5.771.21 | |||
| $3.10€1.400.03 | |||
|
1
Swamp
|
$0.190.03 | ||
| $7.51 | |||
Boros Battles
Battle-o-meter: 6/10, complementary
Basically an aggro prowess Boros deck slapped with battle cards to get even more good value pump effects. Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array
works astoundingly well in this build, able to dampen the tempo of your opponent while having an easy-to-transform battle that can start permanently buffing your fielded creatures. It is best used in tandem with a Monastery Mentor
, as it is able to punch through its defense counters in one go via prowess, plus it will trigger its token generation effect as well (those tokens have prowess too!). All the while getting a permanent stat increase at the end of your turn.
Oh and, you even get a free shield that saves a board investment in a pinch 1-v-1!
Featured Cards:
Boros Battles (Import)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 22
Side 12 cards (12 distinct)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 22
Side 12 cards (12 distinct)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (15) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.57 | |||
| $12.30€14.5812.04 | |||
| $0.25€0.240.03 | |||
| $5.15 | |||
| $2.74 | |||
| Creature (13) | |||
| $6.55€6.240.13 | |||
| $1.20 | |||
| $4.37€3.470.20 | |||
| $12.01€9.400.28 | |||
| Planeswalker (4) | |||
| $9.44€5.500.35 | |||
| Other (6) | |||
| $2.55€2.891.95 | |||
| $3.42€3.700.26 | |||
| Land (22) | |||
| $1.12€1.110.03 | |||
|
7
Mountain
|
$0.200.03 | ||
|
7
Plains
|
$0.150.03 | ||
| $6.80 | |||
Side 12 cards (12 distinct)
| $0.15€0.060.03 | |||
| $40.24€28.440.69 | |||
| $0.500.02 | |||
|
1
Abrade
|
$0.25€0.090.03 | ||
| $1.28€1.230.02 | |||
| $0.35 | |||
| $0.58 | |||
| $2.160.10 | |||
| $1.00€0.810.03 | |||
| $0.15€0.060.03 |
Bant Tokens
Battle-o-meter: 4/10, featured piece
This one is mostly a modified Mondrak, Glory Dominus
token doubler build with the usual side dressing of Gala Greeters
, Wedding Announcement // Wedding Festivity
, and other typical high-value token generators. However, it is spashed with Invasion of New Phyrexia // Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir
and Invasion of Belenon // Belenon War Antherm
, both battle cards that combine well with the token theme, having synergistic front and back face effects.
For its Convoke outlets, it uses a single Ancient Imperiosaur
, which feels absolutely crazy to cast when purely convoked by doubled tokens. Transcendent Message
is here as well, which can be good enough I guess, but it strictly requires Invasion of New Phyrexia // Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir to tap into its creature-based blue mana requirement.
Featured Cards:
bant tokens
Main 60 cards (26 distinct)
Lands - 25
Main 60 cards (26 distinct)
Lands - 25
Main 60 cards (26 distinct)
| Other (4) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.89€1.680.02 | |||
| $0.19€0.090.03 | |||
| Creature (13) | |||
| $6.10 | |||
| $0.640.02 | |||
| $1.48 | |||
| $39.590.71 | |||
| $0.88 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (15) | |||
| $0.340.02 | |||
| $0.30 | |||
| $2.74 | |||
| $0.25€0.140.01 | |||
| $0.25€0.150.02 | |||
| Planeswalker (3) | |||
| Land (25) | |||
|
1
Island
|
$0.40€0.400.03 | ||
|
1
Forest
|
$0.56€0.170.04 | ||
|
1
Plains
|
$0.34€0.160.04 | ||
| $10.36 | |||
| $4.52 | |||
| $3.760.09 | |||
| $2.000.15 | |||
| $4.01 | |||
| $2.02 | |||
| $4.00 | |||
| $6.60 | |||
| $14.33€17.794.24 | |||
| $34.23 | |||
Gruul Dinosaurs
Battle-o-meter: 4/10, featured piece
The first premiere battle support piece, Rampaging Raptor, plus the smaller Rampaging Geoderm
gets included with its obligatory tribal theme (albeit just in name) with this deck. While this build only features Invasion of Ixalan // Belligerent Regisaur
and Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria
, the build has both full sets of it, and the strategy of the decks incentivizes playing the cards as soon as they are available.
Ancient Imperiosaur is quite the oddity here, as it provides zero effective synergy with any of the creatures featured in this deck. Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
is welcomed at least, easily bombing the opponent upstairs or cracking battles whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Featured Cards:
GruulSaurs 🔴🟢
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
Lands - 24
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
Lands - 24
Main 60 cards (17 distinct)
| Creature (16) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $7.83 | |||
| $0.15€0.080.03 | |||
| $1.62 | |||
| $0.500.02 | |||
| $0.640.02 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (12) | |||
| $0.20€0.170.03 | |||
| $4.29 | |||
| $0.360.02 | |||
| Other (8) | |||
| $0.75€0.600.55 | |||
| $9.25€7.160.17 | |||
| Land (24) | |||
|
4
Mountain
|
$0.39€0.170.03 | ||
|
4
Forest
|
$0.56€0.170.04 | ||
| $5.87€3.981.68 | |||
| $3.410.12 | |||
| $3.26 | |||
| $34.23 | |||
| $2.11€3.781.58 | |||
Dragon Tribal
Battle-o-meter: 3/10, vital support piece
Yes, just Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw, and nothing else. To be fair, the deck as four full copies of it, and much like Gruul Dinosaurs, most situations would call for using it as soon as possible. Also, it's effect should be a lot more potent since this is a dedicated dragon build. In most games, it makes a lot more sense to just go face on every copy, and then let one of your big dragons punch the battle to easily transform it. Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw also has this weird, appropriately thematic synergy with Zurgo and Ojutai
, since there is no strategic loss in showing it repeatedly to your opponent anyway.
The sweetest deal about this deck? Every other creature that attacks will trigger the effect of the transformed Defiant Thundermaw, leading to an avalanche of burn damage that incinerates your opponents to a crisp… just in case the front face of Invasion of Tarkir // Defiant Thundermaw hasn’t done that already.
Featured Cards:
Dragon Tribal
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (16) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
2
Abrade
|
$0.25€0.090.03 | ||
| $12.30€14.5812.04 | |||
| $1.33€0.840.04 | |||
| $0.360.02 | |||
| $1.23 | |||
| $4.88 | |||
| $0.20€0.170.03 | |||
| Creature (14) | |||
| $0.49€0.440.64 | |||
| $0.980.02 | |||
| Other (4) | |||
| $3.42€3.700.26 | |||
| Land (26) | |||
| $5.66€5.771.21 | |||
| $11.97 | |||
|
2
Mountain
|
$0.200.03 | ||
| $2.99 | |||
| $6.00 | |||
| $6.47€2.900.58 | |||
| $6.80 | |||
| $8.43 | |||
| $7.51 | |||
Norn Battle Tokens
Battle-o-meter: 5/10, selective but synergistic
Probably the comfiest battle deck out of this list, this one focuses on Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia
, transforming perhaps in my opinion one of the most powerful back-side effects of any battle cards. When transformed, this card essentially turns your entire board into its mana pool. So when it is combined with a token centric build, the advantages can potentially accumulate, especially since you get to untap four creatures every single turn. Unfortunately, the strategy becomes somewhat easy to counter during subsequent runs, as opponents will focus on eliminating Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia asap the next time around.
Naturally, Invasion of New Phyrexia // Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir becomes a complementary addition to this deck. It's a straightforward token generator, has the right color identity, and is highly compatible as a "Convoked" spell. And no, you don't even have to call Teferi half of the time. Just smash all of those knights on your opponent's face as soon as the horde appears.
Featured Cards:
Azorius Norn Battle Tokens (import)
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 25
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 25
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
| Other (8) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.13€0.570.02 | |||
| $1.89€1.680.02 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (14) | |||
| $2.74 | |||
| $2.090.02 | |||
| $0.20€0.300.01 | |||
| $0.25€0.150.02 | |||
| $0.88 | |||
| Creature (10) | |||
| $6.55€6.240.13 | |||
| $0.25€0.230.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.240.03 | |||
| $40.24€28.440.69 | |||
| Planeswalker (3) | |||
| Land (25) | |||
| $6.75€3.430.06 | |||
| $3.70€4.622.30 | |||
| $2.79€2.300.09 | |||
|
8
Plains
|
$0.150.03 | ||
|
3
Island
|
$0.200.03 | ||
About ChrisCee:
A witness since the time the benevolent silver planeswalker first left Dominaria, ChrisCee has since went back and forth on a number of plane-shattering incidents to oversee the current state of the Multiverse.
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