Turbo Land Theory
Theory? Turbo land goal is straightforward. Get lands out fast. Have seven plus mana by turn five or six at the latest. Easy, right? Well, yes. But there's some nifty stuff happening behind the scenes! Check it out:
While linear in function, turbo land contains some interesting internal synergy that enhances its own strength the longer it plays out in any given game. By pumping out two or more lands per turn we thin the deck of lands. The more we thin lands the less likely we will draw land. This also means then that the more lands we thin from the deck, the more likely we will draw other good cards. And since all of that thinning has actually gotten those lands on the battlefield, we have a higher likelihood to actually get to play most everything else we draw into. The theory is then that the longer turbo land stays alive, card quality improves quickly in a kind of positive correlation to land thinned (put on the battlefield) and corresponding quantity of mana available. We can call this the turbo land shell.
If we can make the shell consistent then we can start looking at permanent packages that not only fit our curve but respond very well in each format meta. We can take a tool box approach and start filling vulnerabilities or gaps with cards that may seriously disrupt the opponent. For example, World Breaker may be very easy to hit by turn five consistently, maybe on the play turning off Archangel Avacyn
for a turn or two. In this sense, as long as the turbo land shell is consistent we can start looking at it as a kind of jungle gym to try all kinds of weird and costly things.
Turbo Land Strategy
In this particular build I'm using a combination of mana-fixers and accelerators via fetches and manadorks. Here are some pretty typical lines of turbo land play.
Turn 1
As early as turn one we can start fixing mana and filling our hand with lands with Attune with Aether, or Oath of Nissa. I often grab a Wastes with Attune with Aether just to turn on
Ruin in Their Wake
. Even if I hadn't drawn
Ruin in Their Wake
in the opening seven I still want to be prepare for it if I draw it turn two. Oath of Nissa is not the greatest turn 1 fixer. It only digs three cards deep and obviously could totally miss. Sometimes you'll hit a Lumbering Falls or something which is a great card but rather slow. Still, Oath of Nissa has the slim possibility to get a needed land or may grab an important creature, offering a significant degree of flexibility later in the game as well.
Turn 2 and 3
Turns two and three are the ramping turns. We delay aggression just to grow on these turns via land fetching spells. If we used Attune with Aether on turn one to get the one copy of Wastes we can play
Ruin in Their Wake
on turn two. We might even burn a
Swell of Growth
targeting Dragonmaster Outcast to effectively get to make two land drops. Worst case scenario play Servant of the Conduit and pray it doesn't die before turn three. Turn three we can hold up mana for
Natural Connection
at the opponent's EOT. Basically play anything on turns two and three that will put an extra land on the board. That's the gist.
Turn 4
Hopefully we set up with four to five mana on turn three. If so, turn four is when things really take off! This is where we can start our mini loop with Blighted Woodland and pulse of marasa, followed up the next turn with Greenwarden of Murasa, netting us two extra lands per turn. Or
Wild Wanderer
may be a better play on turn three if you need a body to block or to set up for a Decimator of the Provinces, depending on what you drew, and what you're up against. If all goes well we can get 6 to 8 lands/mana maybe by turn four. Most likely by turn five. And most definitely by turn six.
Turn 5 and Beyond
Commonly by turn five we'll try and drop our biggest threats. Right now I've included in this particular list Verdurous Gearhulk,
Ulvenwald Hydra
, Decimator of the Provinces, and Omnath, Locus of Rage. These are all must deal with creatures and will win the game if unchecked.
If we are concerned about spot removal or counters we can also look to play a swarm of smaller creatures like Dragonmaster Outcast, or Sylvan Advocate. Those two creatures become really dangerous once we start ramping out. The opponent might be obliged to burn an Unlicensed Disintegration on our lowly Dragonmaster Outcast just to prevent us from generating 5/5 dragons. We can also activate Lumbering Falls which pairs well with Arlinn Kord
and
Swell of Growth
. Going wide with this deck is really easy since we have so much mana to play with. That route can really gum up the board and put serious pressure on the opponent. Follow up with a Decimator of the Provinces and outright overpower the opponent!
Winning
Overpowering with creatures is just what we want to do with this deck. Usually we want to get enough power on the board to alpha-strike with lethal all at once. But the timing of the strike is key. Since turbo land takes time off in the early game to ramp, often health reserves are a bit low by mid to late game. If we ever find ourselves short on lethal swinging all-in, give careful consideration about how to proceed. Might be the time to sit back for a turn to try and draw into a Decimator of the Provinces. We definitely don't want to swing just under lethal and then get killed on a crack-back from the opponent. Though the decision depends on the situation, in general turbo land, and green stompy decks for that matter do not want to give the opponent enough time to regroup or draw removal to start picking our team apart. So. Be as aggressive and swingy as possible without losing ground.
