I’m talking about Call of the Herd of course—the card that everyone loves but no one is playing. Until now!
Why no trample?
It has popped up in lists here and there lately, e.g. in ”Lanny Rock”, which is Lanny Huang’s recent take on the deck. Besides Call of the Herd, this version also runs Phyrexian Rager in the three and four mana slots (instead of e.g. Yavimaya Elder and Blastoderm). They’re both two low-key sources of card advantage, and of course provide great fuel for Cabal Therapy. I can see situations where the elephant tokens are less than ideal with Pernicious Deed, however.
Premodern Showdown Series 5: Tom Metelsky
Spoiler viewList with preview cardShow/hide sideboardDownload photo of deckDownload text file of deck
Deck downloaded from - http://premodernmagic.com
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Premodern Showdown Series 5: Tom Metelsky
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MAIN DECK (60)
Instants and Sorceries: 16
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Duress
2 Vendetta
2 Smother
2 Call of the Herd
1 Naturalize
1 Diabolic Edict
Creatures: 14
4 Wall of Blossoms
4 Ravenous Baloth
2 Deranged Hermit
3 Phyrexian Rager
1 Krosan Tusker
Others: 5
4 Pernicious Deed
1 Recurring Nightmare
Lands: 25
5 Forest
8 Swamp
1 Tranquil Thicket
4 Treetop Village
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Dust Bowl
2 Barren Moor
SIDEBOARD (15)
1 Dust Bowl
1 Vendetta
1 Crumble
1 Diabolic Edict
3 Naturalize
1 Tranquil Domain
4 Engineered Plague
1 Recurring Nightmare
2 Haunting Echoes
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Deck downloaded from - http://premodernmagic.com
SIDEBOARD
Tom Metelsky is running this version as part of his gauntlet in the ongoing Premodern Showdown Series (PSS 5), and as it happens, he played it versus Lanny himself. If you haven’t already, you can watch it on stream here (around 1 h and 50 min in). The PSS is top notch Premodern content, by the way, so props to Michael Heup and all the other commentators and players that make it happen.
What do you think of Call of the Herd in The Rock, and elsewhere? Let us know in Premodern social media (I’m still on team Elder and ’Derm!)
– Martin