Wizards of the Coast will be releasing Core Set 2021 for Magic: The Gathering later this year, which will include a quintet of new mono-colored Planeswalker Decks. Garruk, Savage Herald will be the planeswalker for the Green deck. Here's how to use him and the cards he'll be joined by in M21.

Green mana is all about the natural world, from the tallest oaks to the mightiest bears and most venomous spiders, but it's also all about the life webs and interdependence of all wild things and all people. Garruk unites the beasts and magic plants of the forest to defend the wilds, and with this deck, he'll use bone-crushing strength to beat back intruders. Like Black's Liliana and Red's Chandra, Garruk is a first-generation planeswalker, appearing in 2007's expansion set Lorwyn. His mono-Green Planeswalker Deck fits that theme, as it can stay on the defensive or go on the offensive at will. With such meaty creatures and flexible tactics, this deck can withstand anything the opponent throws at it, then charge in for the kill.

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Garruk's deck has simple but powerful creatures in it, such as Wildwood Patrol, a 4/2 Centaur Scout costing 2G. That's a lot of power, and it can discourage reckless attacks in the forest's domain. On the offense, Wildwood Patrol has trample, so all that extra power can squash a blocking creature and deal leftover damage to the defending player. Cards like this aren't fancy, but they don't have to be when Garruk's might is backing them up.

In the uncommon slot is Predatory Wurm, a 4/4 Wurm that costs 3G. That alone is intimidating, but the Wurm can do more. It has vigilance, meaning it can warily defend its territory and take the fight to the enemy at the same time. This watchful forest guardian also gets +2/+2 if its controller has a Garruk planeswalker around, making it a titanic 6/6. Few, if any other creatures in these five planeswalker decks can take on such a behemoth.

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As for the rare card, Garruk's Warsteed is a rhino. A horse can't bear his weight, but a rhino can, and Garruk's Warsteed is a beefy 3/5 Rhino for 3GG, and it has vigilance. Like Predatory Wurm, Garruk carefully watches over the forest with a predator's eye, but he can attack just as easily. When this beast stomps onto the battlefield, it allows the player to find a Garruk, Savage Herald from the graveyard or library, and put it in their hand.

This deck's planeswalker card is the aforementioned Garruk, Savage Herald, and it costs 4GG while coming into play with five loyalty counters. For the cost of +1 loyalty, Garruk lets the player reveal their library's top card, and if it's a creature, that card goes right into the player's hand. Otherwise, it goes straight to the library's bottom. The -2 ability allows any of the player's creatures to deal damage equal to its power to another creature, without any fear of retaliation. It's known as the "bite" ability, and a 6/6 Predatory Wurm is a great candidate for that ability. Lastly, Garruk's -7 ability allows all of the player's creatures to deal combat damage this turn as though they weren't block at all (even if they are thoroughly blocked). So, just a few attacking beasts should be enough to finish off any opponent.

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As for just why M21 will incorporate such powerful abilities, Magic Senior Game Designer Max McCall told CBR exclusively, "Planeswalker ultimates are supposed to be big and splashy. We don’t make planeswalkers to be safe, controlled versions of other cards – we make them to be cool and exciting. Don’t worry, M21 contains many other powerful, exciting cards."

Overall, Garruk is the champion of the wilds, and his deck rewards a player who keeps the forest safe while building up the strength to tear the opponent apart when the time is right.

The M21 Core Set releases July 3.

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