Overview
Khans has two major features: tri-color wedges and morph. The five clans are a combination of 'enemy' colors (Black + Green & White, Blue + Green & Red, ...) and supported by a bevy of dual and triple lands. The morph mechanic also makes a return: play a creature face down for three colorless mana as a 2/2. Later, flip it up by paying it's morph cost. Of the two, Limited Resources asserts (and I agree) that the Morph is the defining feature.
A quick morph overview. Many creatures have two different casting costs, their main casting cost and 'morph'. Example:
You can cast him for 5 & Blue like a normal creature and you have a 4/5. Or you can cast him as a morph. Spend 3 mana (of any color) and play him facedown as a 2/2.
At any point later on, you can pay the morph cost (for the Glacial Stalker it would be 4 & Blue) to flip him face up. This can be used *instantaneously*, mid combat, in response to a spell, anything. It also makes them a lot easier to cast. You can get some early defenses regardless of mana by dropping him as a 2/2. Then later on *BAM* crushing with a 4/5.
It is sorcery speed you if a creature uses Outlast they cannot attack or defend because they are tapped. Once again, this is a very slow ability (as hinted in the name) and works in a deck designed to be slow and grindy. There are also outlast 'chieftans' that grant abilities any creature you control that has a +1/+1 counter. These are AMAZING and scale incredibly well.
As should be clear, Outlast belongs to the Abzan (Green/white black) clan.
Ferocious
Finally we have Ferocious. Ferocious powers up your spells if you have a creature with four power or greater.
Ferocious cards are in green/red/blue, the Temur clan.
There is next to no quality removal. Behold:
A quick morph overview. Many creatures have two different casting costs, their main casting cost and 'morph'. Example:
You can cast him for 5 & Blue like a normal creature and you have a 4/5. Or you can cast him as a morph. Spend 3 mana (of any color) and play him facedown as a 2/2.
At any point later on, you can pay the morph cost (for the Glacial Stalker it would be 4 & Blue) to flip him face up. This can be used *instantaneously*, mid combat, in response to a spell, anything. It also makes them a lot easier to cast. You can get some early defenses regardless of mana by dropping him as a 2/2. Then later on *BAM* crushing with a 4/5.
Other Mechanics
Raid:
A trigger that occurs if you've attacked this turn. So after you attack, during your second main phase, you cast
Since you attacked you also get a free 1/1 token. This rewards aggressive decks that are attacking constantly. It is also the home of the Mardu (Red/White/Black) clan.
Delve
Instead of paying mana, you exile cards from your graveyard to make it cheaper.
Instead of paying mana, you exile cards from your graveyard to make it cheaper.
You can pay 5 & Green to play the Hooting Mandrills. Or if you have three cards in your graveyard you can clean out your graveyard and cast it for only 2 & Green. The Sultai (Green/Blue/Black) use this mechanic a lot and have cards that help enable this by throwing cards in your graveyard rapidly. (more on this later) Delve cards are better in slower, grindy decks.
Prowess
Unlike Raid and Delve, Prowess is exclusively a creature ability.
For every non-creature spell you cast, they get a +1/+1. This can be a surprise instant during combat, it can be a sorcery. Only Jeskai (red/white/blue) creatures have Prowess and they tend to work best in a tempo play. Fewer creatures, more spells that tend to control the opponent by removing their creatures, tapping them, and wearing you down.
Outlast
Also exclusively a creature ability, Outlast grants creatures an ability to give themselves a +1/+1 counter.
It is sorcery speed you if a creature uses Outlast they cannot attack or defend because they are tapped. Once again, this is a very slow ability (as hinted in the name) and works in a deck designed to be slow and grindy. There are also outlast 'chieftans' that grant abilities any creature you control that has a +1/+1 counter. These are AMAZING and scale incredibly well.
As should be clear, Outlast belongs to the Abzan (Green/white black) clan.
Ferocious
Finally we have Ferocious. Ferocious powers up your spells if you have a creature with four power or greater.
Ferocious cards are in green/red/blue, the Temur clan.
Meta Notes
There is next to no quality removal. Behold:
It's either expensive, unreliable, or both. And that is basically all you have (aside from some rares and so forth) As such, all creature interactions are defined by how they interact with a 2/2 morph. But of course, you have to watch out for the transformation. The magic number for a morph cost is FIVE MANA. Almost every big thumpy morph (Canyon Lurkers is the exception) costs five to flip up. So be aware of your opponent's untapped mana.
Fast Draft Tips
The tri-lands are absolutely first-pickable and I have done so unless there is a stone-cold bomb or quality removal (Murderous Cut). They work perfectly for one clan but are totally serviceable in two others. I like those odds.
vs 
The dual lands are in every combination, 'ally' and 'enemy'. Of the two, the enemy combinations are more useful because they fit in two clans. Black & White works for both Abzan and Mardu where as Red & Black is Mardu only.
There are next to no evasion abilities. Given the lack of quality removal and how gummy the ground gets with chubby morphs, sticking a flier is pretty close to a win condition. As such, quality fliers are surprisingly good, even the humble Alabaster Kirin.
Two of the clans center around a slower game plan: Abzan (GWB) and Sultai (GUB). The Abzan use the Outlast mechanic to build an unstoppable army and the Sultai have a bunch of cards that populate the graveyard to enable powerful Delve cards. Both of those mechanics splash just fine, I like to run at least one or two Delve cards even when I'm not Sultai. However any deck you put together will need a plan for breaking the shields of these slower decks.
With the exception of the Savants (who are passed around a lot), those are *all common.* Be prepared to see them and have a plan for them. Personally I find the deathtouching Shambling Attendants wildly overdrafted but everyone else seems to love em. Have a plan.
Deck Archetypes
One of the things that makes Khans so damn fun is they did a great job with 'build around me uncommons' There are some key cards that can really drive victory if you can snag em.
Black/White Warrior
Man oh man do these babies scale beautifully. There are a ton of creatures in Mardu that are just warriors, create tokens, and boost em. You can easily stay pure white/black or go full Mardu for the Trumpet, Charm, and Ponyback. The top row are the key cards if you see em. I would absolutely first pick Raider's Spoils or Chief of the Edge. Huge, huge enablers.
Five Color Party!
This is very meta-dependent on how many lands are being drafted but five colors can absolutely work if you're seeing multi-lands fall to you in the 5th, 6th, 7th pick. Just grab every possible source of mana and every possible beefy morph. Protect yourself with the 2/2s and force your opponent into the world's worst guessing game.
Delve Engine
these are the core cards of the Delve engine. Get defensive creatures up, aggressively take quality delve cards (and there are some doozies) and kill. Scout the Borders and Bitter Revelation are fantastic. I'm not as big of a fan of the Rakshasa's Secret but it certainly is playable. What is NOT playable is
Nope nope nope. Don't do it, wouldn't be prudent.
Misc Notes
Best combat trick in the game
Best two drop (tie)
Worst 'five mana flip' morph.
Never, ever worth it (any of em). Do something better on turn 3. Anything.
Windmill-slam first pick. Remember it stays on morphs when they flip!
great stuff, jed
ReplyDeleteForgot the most basic: given the tragedy of tri-colors, most everyone is running 18 lands but opting to be on the play. Being the first to have 5 mana to threaten a transformation is pretty clutch.
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