Thragtusk was not my personal vote for #1 card
of the year, but I can certainly see why it
gained that accolade. It follows in the
footsteps of creatures like Loxodon Hierarch and
Siege-Gang Commander that simply take over a
game when they hit the table, putting a player
who's behind back into the race and a player
who's ahead well over the top. Not only that, it
has synergy with lots of other popular cards -
green-white-blue might now be the best colors
for Momentary Blink decks, and does anybody
remember Contested Cliffs? Thragtusk is another
card that is sure to have an impact far beyond
its immediate release environment, and to change
the way lots of people play the game. That makes
it worthy of our number one position for 2012.
The number one card of the year is Thragtusk
which is a five mana 5/3 Green that gives five
life when it enters the battlefield and a 3/3
token when it leaves. For this cost this
is an efficient if not overly aggressive
creature that is noteworthy for both card
advantage and combo potential, particularly with
cards like Cloudshift. In a multicolor
deck with some acceleration this has the
potential to be a solid component of a theme and
even by itself is quite playable despite not
having Trample or a high toughness.
For Limited this is an excellent creature that
provides some protection for your investment
against removal and the bonus of some life gain.
A fairly easy first pick in Booster or inclusion
in Sealed as a 5/3 for five with just one Green
in the cost allowing it to be splashed if
needed, but more likely played in a deck that
isn't mono-Green.
