No report this week (don’t worry, I’ll have one next week); rather, I present to you some speculative analysis. Sounds fun, right?

With Shadowmoor around the corner, and spoiler/preview season in full swing, speculation about the best post-rotation decks is once again a hot topic. And why not? After all, one card in a set can change the constructed metagame. Such was the case with the reprint of Dragonstorm in Time Spiral, as well as Bridge from Below in Future Sight and Doran, the Siege Tower in Lorwyn, just to name a few. This time around, the Johnnies have already gone crazy for one card in particular from Shadowmoor: Swans of Bryn Argoll.

It’s a solid card in itself, but what makes it more ridiculous is the deck archetype that comes with it, something I refer to as “Swan Song.” This red/green/white combo deck uses the aforementioned Swans of Bryn Argoll in conjunction with Seismic Assault and Dakmor Salvage. Yes, Dakmor Salvage, the lone Dredge card in Type 2. The combo can go off as early as turn 3 with the right hand and draws. Here’s what you need:

Turn 1: Karplusan Forest, Birds of Paradise.

Turn 2: Land that produces red, Seismic Assault.

Turn 3: Land that produces white, Swans of Bryn Argoll. With Dakmor Salvage in hand, discard it to Seismic to deal 2 damage to the Swans. Replace one of the draws by dredging Salvage. Repeat process until you have enough lands in hand to kill your opponent.

Swan Song’s Utility Belt

As if that weren’t enough, the deck has lots of protection and tutors to work its way around many potential stumbling blocks and disruptions. Because of its multicolor theme, I have a feeling there will be a revival in demand for Glittering Wish with the release of Shadowmoor. Not every deck would play it, but Swan Song certainly would. With it, you can grab Swans, Gaddock Teeg, Vexing Shusher (an uncounterable bear that can make other spells uncounterable), and Fulminator Mage (a 2/2 for 3 that sacrifices to destroy a nonbasic land), among other things.

Even without Glittering Wish, the deck has so much utility it’s not even funny. Manamorphose, a common instant from Shadowmoor, turns the two mana you spend to play it into two mana of any colors, and it cantrips! Sylvan Scrying allows you to get Dakmor Salvage if your draws aren’t kind. Idyllic Tutor can get Seismic Assault or Oblivion Ring for protection. And when you dredge Gaea’s Blessing with Dakmor Salvage, well, then it’s just “lather, rinse, repeat.”

The Problem With Speculation

Of course, because Shadowmoor hasn’t been released yet, because we don’t know every card in the set, and because we are still a month and a half away from the next Type 2 tournament of consequence with Shadowmoor, Pro Tour Hollywood, so many things about Swan Song are still up in the air. Initially some thought the deck needed as many as 39 lands in order to work. Others thought you needed much more acceleration, such as Rite of Flame or Simian Spirit Guide or Lotus Bloom. (Some were quick to remind those people that this is not a storm deck.) Like any deck in theory, it will take a lot of testing to see if it will stand up to the other prominent decks. What kind of success could it enjoy? Can it challenge Project R for top combo deck? Does it have answers for aggressive decks like faeries, Red Deck Wins, and kithkin? How will it deal with control? What else could come out of Shadowmoor that hoses or helps this deck? So much remains to be seen.

On top of that, while the list I propose for Swan Song is red/green/white, other lists use blue and black instead. Some may run green and white but no Glittering Wish. One list I’ve seen even worked in a Reveillark suite. Unlike many constructed archetypes, not one color combination or general list has been agreed upon just yet.

Burning Question: What Else Do You Expect?

In the meantime, feel free to discuss any other changes in the Constructed scene you see coming out of Shadowmoor. What cards and decks benefit the most from the theme, the new cards, the new mechanics? I’ll be checking in at the forums to see what you think.

-Sammy Time