Mono Green Landfall: the Torpor Orb plan

The change: two sideboard slots

In: 2 Torpor Orb. Out: 2 Warg Tactics. The main stays identical to the September 10 list. I keep 2 Webstrike Elite for reach and artifact or enchantment removal through cycling; the sideboard also retains 3 Leatherhead, 3 Mossborn Hydra, 2 Meltstrider’s Resolve, 1 Sapling Nursery, 1 Soul-Guide Lantern and 1 Surrak.

This is a starting point to test: you give up two flexible spells that kill a flyer or grant a counter, trample and hexproof. In exchange, you can prevent opposing creatures’ enter triggers before they happen.

When to bring Orb in

Bring in both copies after seeing creatures with important enter triggers. Sunderflock is the concrete example from the Izzet report: with Orb already on the battlefield, its non-Elemental bounce ability does not trigger. Sunderflock is still a flyer and can attack or block.

As an initial plan against a Sunderflock-focused list: +2 Torpor Orb, −1 Ouroboroid and −1 Lumbering Worldwagon. Keep Chocobo, Explorer and Harmonizer while trimming two slower engines. This is a recommendation for this version, to adjust to the cards seen and the pace of the game; it is not a tested result.

Against aggro or control without relevant enter triggers, leave them in the sideboard. The opponent’s colors alone are not enough: Orb does not stop removal, counterspells, cast triggers or activated abilities.

Timing

Orb costs two mana and must resolve before the creature you want to stop enters. It does not cancel an ability already on the stack or remove a creature already on the battlefield. With Llanowar Elves, you can develop a threat while keeping a useful turn for Orb; do not slow an aggressive hand when the opponent has no relevant target.

One active Orb is enough. The second copy improves your chance of drawing one and replaces the first if removed; playing it immediately does not double the effect.

Your synergies stay active

Chocobo, Icetill Explorer and Mightform Harmonizer still trigger landfall when noncreature lands enter. Explorer’s static abilities, Ouroboroid’s beginning-of-combat counters and Llanowar Elves’ mana ability remain active. If a land enters as a creature, Orb can stop the landfall triggers caused by that entry.

Leatherhead still enters with a hexproof counter: this modifies how it enters rather than triggering from the entry. Its artifact or enchantment destruction triggers from combat damage and still works. Webstrike Elite’s cycling also works.

Summon: Esper Maduin still works, including chapter I as it enters: chapters trigger from lore counters being added rather than from the creature entering. Orb is symmetrical: if you later add creatures with actual enter triggers, it will stop yours too.

Main deck · 60

Sideboard · 15

Cards and rules

Torpor Orb · Mystery Booster 2 #236

Sunderflock

Leatherhead, Swamp Stalker

Wizards · Torpor Orb

Wizards · Saga chapters

Opening hands and the September 10 guide

The main is unchanged. The opening-hand examples remain useful; use the updated plan above for the sideboard.