KILLAR COMBOS

Okay, combos are everywhere. Ever since things shifted into high-gear with the legendary Prosperous Bloom deck, people have always been searching for combos to throw together and use in their decks. Me writing about them is nothing new - MagicDeckVortex even has an entire section where combos are posted and have viable decks built around them.

What sets the combos I am giving you today apart, however, is that they are totally awesome.

Until now, combos have been lame. Even lamer than the regulated use of the term "battlefield." Wizards has been lying to you. These combos... are truly the combos of legend.

Nature's Revolt & Earthlink: Set off a chain of events that will make Mousetrap look like kids' stuff! Clear the board of almost every permanent under your control! Convince your opponent you're criminally insane! Get a way to sac your best land (say, with Zuran Orb,) which is considered a creature thanks to the Revolt, and then be forced to sacrifice another now-living land to Earthlink. REPEAT UNTIL YOU ARE CARDLESS.

Ali from Cairo & Lich: Ali and his fish-smelling moustache prevent you from going under one life and Lich brings you to zero life when it comes into play. What happens when you bring them into play together? Global Armageddon! Exploding house pets! The moon splitting in half like in "Thundarr the Barbarian"! Go ahead, try it.

Cocoon & Blistering Firecat: Cocoon never really got its due. Why, pair it up with the Firecat, and you have a fierce 8/2 creature with flying and trample! Utterly fantastic - nothing can stand up to something like that! Shivan Dragon? Toast. Serra Angel? Toast. How about Baron Sengir, undead lord of darkness? Toast. Just ignore the fact that kitty will wither and die in the cocoon three turns before you can use it and pow, killer combo.

Firebreathing & Shivan Dragon: Frusturate everyone in the game by making plays that don't make sense! Slap a creature enchantment on a creature that already has the ability the enchantment gives and let the fun times roll! When friends try to explain why what you're doing is stupid, just look at 'em sideways, smile knowingly and say "Nooo... I don't think so." Watch as one-time friends turn a weird purple in frusturation.
Stay tuned for a decklist for the dreaded Flight / Storm Crow deck.

Helm of Awakening & Ornithopter: Break into the negative zone! Combine the Ornithopter's converted mana cost of 0 with the Helm's widescale -1 to mana costs to plunge into the realm of mystery. Is its converted mana cost -1? Do you get one colourless mana when you play it? Does it take only three licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop? The world will never know.

Burning Wish & Burning Wish: It's the infinity loop! Firstly, you'll need to make infinite mana - nothing too hard these days (I'm looking at you, Mirrodin block!) Now, cast the Wish to go in search of... another Burning Wish! Since it's still your main phase, play this one too, getting another Burning Wish! But don't stop now - keep playing Wishes to bring in more Wishes! If your opponent never gets to go again, you can't lose!
For that extra touch of style, try it using Ring of Ma'ruf.

Dark Ritual & Black Lotus & Demonic Hordes: First-turn mayhem! Drop a swamp, cast Dark Ritual, sacrifice the Lotus and pow, the Demonic Hordes are yours! Think of the possibilities: you'll never own another land that game... ever! The Hordes'll never be untapped to attack! They'll never be untapped to block! Guaranteed first-turn "lock" win... for your opponent.

Time Warp & Fork: Shatter the fifth dimension! Here's how: When your opponent casts Time Warp ("Take an extra turn after this one"), Fork it. He takes a turn after his current one, but your instant on the stack means you take a turn after the one he's on, so he takes his turn after you take your Forked one after his... Einstein was right! Einstein was right!!!

Planar Void & Enduring Renewal: "Gee, a combo using Enduring Renewal. How novel." Hey, the Void says that creatures that die are removed from the game, while Enduring Renewal says they're returned to your hand. See? Time and space cease to matter and the game ends in a draw.

Argothian Enchantress & Presence of the Master: Become your own worst enemy! Stop yourself in your tracks! Guarantee your loss! Simply play a deck heavy with enchantments, hurry out the Enchantress so you can draw plenty of cards, then clamp down a Presence and go right through the windshield as you come to a complete stop! (Shoulda worn your seat belt.) Great fun.

Naked Singularity & Reality Twist & Illusionary Terrain: Wizards of the Coast flickers and fades from this plane of reality! The DCI questions its belief in a higher power! Richard Garfield's head explodes! Bring all three of these mana-screwers into play at once and see if your opponent doesn't go all glassy and soil his pants.

Mox Ruby (etc.) & Titania's Song: Speed, speed, speed! Use artifact lands alongide fast mana like Moxes and Jeweled Amulets to pull out a high-casting-cost card like Titania's Song on your first turn, turning all artifacts into creatures with power and toughness equal to their casting costs! What happens next? You get to hang around with the other kids at the tourney who lose before their second turn.

Justice & Chaoslace: Bring Justice into play, no matter what colours your opponent is running. Then as soon as he tries anything, Chaoslace him! Yeah, you heard right, Chaoslace your opponent. That way if he so much as reaches for a Wild Mongrel he's taking damage. Just make sure you're playing somebody smaller than you.

Winter's Chill & Transmute Artifact: "What kind of combo is this? The cards have nothing to do with each other!" Exactly! But look at the amount of text on these two seldom-used cards! Dear God, while your opponent's busy reading these eye-strainers, tap all his mana, flick his Blastoderm into the rafters and swipe his library. Still think this is a weak combo? Heck, throw in the dreaded Ice Cauldron, and you'll probably have enough time to bang his sister while you're at it, too.

Urza's Bauble & North Star: Attempt the impossible! Go against the will of the Gods! Defy fate! Use what may be the two worst artifacts ever to waste thin little coloured cardboard by casting the Star and the Bauble and getting your opponent to think that you're a) up to some unthinkable, daring supercombo or b) some bent institutional escapee who will kill him if he wins. Either way, the game could be yours.


And lastly, a brief card analysis I've always wanted to conduct....

Stangg: We all know that if two of the same legend come into play, they both take the dirt nap. But when Stangg enters play a Twin Stangg token soon follows. A twin!! That's gotta mean sudden death for both o' them. Somebody turn this guy's helmet sideways and push him into a snowbank.