MTG Salvation

Kodama's Reach/ Cultivate

I've cut these two cards 3 years ago, but I been thinking if these two cards could return in 2022:

- Despite being weak performers, I've found them to be somewhat necessary for cards like 5-6 ramp/ combo targets, in particular Time Spiral.
- The introduction of the London Mulligan Rule / additional 1 CMC ramp options/ speed of the format, I would often build my green decks such that I would mulligan any hand without a 1 CMC acceleration. I feel that Kodama's Reach would be an ideal 3 cmc play to recoup the card disadvantage + take advantage of the turn 2 fast mana. (I do not feel I have the consistency in 2017 to mulligan as such).

These cards are not super strong but play a role in some archetypes that is hard to duplicate with other cards. Elves are vulnerable, mana rocks are not lands and are taken up by all players.

So there inclusion depend on how high you want to ramp, if Storm is a thing in your cube, if you have untap effects, land-graveyard shenenigans,...

I would fault no one that plays them in their cube. We run just one at the moment.

Also do not forgot to check out the four mana variants. They tend to be a bit better in hardcore ramp.

As often these days, old school cards like this get out powered by planes walkers though who just do so much more.

I cut Kodamas Reach recently, I'm keeping cultivate for now (because foil shiny shine) but it's definitely on the watchlist for next time I need a non-creature slot.

They are both really solid cards up to mid tier cube but as my average CMC is trending down and general power creep, I have found it's showing its age.

Wouldn't bat an eyelid if I seen it in anyone's cube. Even at a higher power level it's still a solid role player, just you can probably do slightly better in 2022.

It's kinda odd we haven't seen an upgraded version in all this time, feels like the kinda spell Wizards could slap on a 1/1 body for 2G without the sky falling; Magus of Cultivation, if you will.

Even with the huge power creep, Divination with upside is still a fairly decent card with Shadow Prophecy, Archmage's Charm, Expressive Iteration being fairly strong in modern/ legacy.

I've gone full circle on these cards. I used to think they were medium/over-rated when they were staples. Cut them for a couple years, but have come back around to them. Currently debating between either 1 or both of them.
More effecient cheap removal has made creature ramp weaker than it used to be .. Then cards like Field of the dead, Omnath, avenger of zendikar reward you for your land count instead of mana total. A lot of strong green multi colored creatures/planeswalkers make me want to draft 4-5c green more than ever as well.

I think there is a strong consensus that subpar 1 CMC ramp is always better than 2 CMC ramp - this is clearly demonstrated by cards such Gilded Goose and Arboreal Grazer.

(This statement is a bit extreme - but I will retract it as "Is always playable".)

On the other hand, I'm not 100% convinced which of the three paths we should take for 2-3 CMC ramp:
- Kodama's Reach/ Cultivate (3 CMC ramp)
- Wall of Roots/ Explore (2 CMC ramp that refunds you 1 mana the turn it comes in)
- Priest of Titania / Bloom Tender (2 CMC ramp that is fragile but can tap for 2+).

I've tested another option which was to add Green Unga Bunga/ Green aggro to reduce the necessity for decks to play mana dorks such that we could function with a lower mana dork count, but I soon realized this has negatively impacted the Field of the Dead/ Omnath, Avenger, Time spiral etc. deck that you mentioned.

Quote from steve_man »

As much as I love Cultivate / Kodama's Reach, the amount of quality 3-4 cmc threats / value engines have made 3 mana pure ramp spells hard to justify over 1-2 cmc ramp spells. Coalition Relic / Worn Powerstone are pretty much the only pure 3-cmc ramp spells I play, but being colorless and an artifact for synergies still make them useful. I don't play any pure ramp spells above 3-cmc anymore like Thran Dynamo / Hedron Archive / Gilded Lotus / etc.

Quote from Breathe1234 »

I think there is a strong consensus that subpar 1 CMC ramp is always better than 2 CMC ramp - this is clearly demonstrated by cards such Gilded Goose and Arboreal Grazer.

Ehh, I don't think this is true for control / combo decks. Control doesn't want to sweep up their mana dorks, and mana dorks can interfere with things like Oath of Druids / Selvala's Stampede.

While I do like Gilded Goose, any Rampant Growth effect >>> Arboreal Grazer, IMO.

1. My experience with Thran Dynamo/ Glided Lotus it is 60% ramp for cards like Ugin/ Wildfire/ Bolas Citadel and 40% backup Sneak Attack/ Show and Tell for welder/ reanimator.

If you're playing it exclusively for scenario 1, then would second that its not a great card.

2. I do agree Worn Powerstone/ Coalition Relic/ Basalt Monolith (I'll add it to this list) >> Kodama's Reach/ Cultivate. I still feel I'm 2 ramp spells short of fully supporting the archetypes.

I myself always like both Reach and Cultivate. But 3 CC slots are now jampacked with aggressive options that ask for more proactive answer than a ramp spell. Perhaps if cube ever slow those cards will be stronger and can be bring back.

I still include them for green based 3+ color decks that sometimes people go for, as I do not run Signets or Triomes and make people commit to going into other colors.