The 2-Drop Creature Cycle

Today's post is discussing Magic the Gathering's famous powerful 2-drop creature cycle. The reason why these 2 drop creatures are so powerful is because turn two is a critical turn in the eternal formats. Most turn one plays are to set up for the rest of the game. Turn two is when most decks start functioning. These 2 drop creatures are hugely powerful also for only needing 1 coloured mana of their specific colour as well as 1 more colourless mana to cast them, so decks only have to splash a colour to play them.


The two drop creature for white is Stoneforge Mystic. The reason why Stoneforge Mystic is so powerful is not only does it come down turn 2, but fetches answers and win conditions. Stoneforge Mystic decks use what is know as the Stoneforge package. This stoneforge package is made up of 7 cards: 4 x Stoneforge Mystic for searching for equipment, 1 x Batterskull for life gain and as a win condition, 1 x Uzemakdmfige Jitte as removal, life gain, and buffs, and 1 x Sword of Fire and Ice for drawing cards, removal, as well as protection from blue and red. Although because of this Stoneforge pack, with the ability to put these equipments onto the battlefield at instant speed without casting them, Stoneforge Mystic is a huge target for opponent's removal, most of the time forcing their hand. A player can use this to their advantage and bait out an opponent's removal spell to save their more important creatures.


The two drop creature for blue is Snapcaster Mage. It's power comes not from searching the deck, but using the player's graveyard by flashing back instants and sorceries the players has already played. This makes Snapcaster Mage turn any one of your instant or sorcery spells come back for an extra blue and colourless mana onto their mana cost. Although because of this, Snapcaster Mage is rarely played on turn 2, as it would cost more than 2 mana to cast most useful spells that Snapcaster Mage could bring back to life. The mage is also powerful for having flash, being able to flash in response to something to bring back a removal spell or being used as a combat trick to use as a blocker.

The two drop creature for black is Dark Confidant. It's power comes from a player playing a lot of low converted mana cost spells in their deck. Since Dark Confidant damages a player on the converted mana cost of the flipped card of their deck, low casting cost spells such as discard spells and cantripping spells help lower the downside of the Confidant. This means a player only has to pay 2 mana for one turn and get an extra card each turn, for the price 0 - 2 life. This means he is a prime target of an opponent's removal.

The two drop creature for red is Young Pyromancer. It's power comes from a player usually cantripping. By cantripping using instants and sorceries, this means for 1 mana, the player sorts and sculpts their hand and deck while not only replacing the card with a new one, but putting a 1/1 creature onto the battlefield. Decks that use Young Pyromancer use it to put out an army of 1/1 creatures to attack and win, or use them as chump blockers. Young Pyromancer is also a major target of an opponent's removal because of this effect.





Finally, the two drop creature for green is Tarmogoyf. It's power comes naturally from the longer a game goes on thanks to how players love to play fetchlands, instants, and sorceries commonly. It grows in power +1/+1 for each type of card in a graveyard. Types of cards include: land, sorcery, instant, planeswalker, creature, artifact, enchantment, and tribal. This means that for two mana you can have an 8/9 creature on the field, although this is rare. It is more common a 4/5 by turn 3. It is a creature that can win the game in a few swings if left unchecked.




Now you understand the creature 2-drop cycle and why they are so powerful. Until next time, keep brainstorming Magic.