Natural Order: A Deep Dive into MTG’s Green Tutor Powerhouse
Introduction
Imagine the thrill of transforming a humble Llanowar Elves into a colossal Craterhoof Behemoth, instantly shifting the game in your favor. That’s the potential, the raw power, that Natural Order MTG offers. This green sorcery, more than just a card, is a strategic tool, a calculated gamble, and a testament to the explosive potential hidden within the color green. Natural Order has been a defining card in Magic: The Gathering for years, shaping competitive formats and becoming a beloved staple in Commander. It’s a card that demands respect, both from the player wielding it and the opponent facing it. This article explores the rich history, strategic uses, strengths, and weaknesses of Natural Order MTG, providing a comprehensive guide for players of all levels. From its early days in Visions to its current standing in Legacy and Commander, we’ll uncover why Natural Order remains a green tutor powerhouse.
The Genesis of Natural Order
Released in the Visions expansion in nineteen ninety-seven, Natural Order MTG emerged during a time when Wizards of the Coast was experimenting with new mechanics and exploring the boundaries of card design. Visions, known for its focus on quirky and powerful enchantments and creatures, provided the perfect environment for a card like Natural Order to flourish. The design philosophy behind Visions seemed to encourage players to think outside the box, to find innovative ways to leverage seemingly simple effects to achieve devastating results. Natural Order perfectly embodied this design principle.
Initially, the card’s potential wasn’t immediately obvious to everyone. The cost of sacrificing a green creature seemed steep, and the value proposition hinged entirely on the quality of the creature you could tutor for. However, savvy players quickly realized that the ability to reliably search for a specific creature, especially one that could win the game on the spot, was worth far more than the price of a lowly mana dork or utility creature. Early tournament results soon validated this assessment, as decks built around Natural Order began to emerge, showcasing the card’s potential to quickly and efficiently assemble powerful combos. The community started to recognize the card as a true piece of power within green’s arsenal.
As players found new ways to use it, Natural Order MTG’s reputation as a powerful tool grew. Early Legacy decks, for instance, frequently utilized Natural Order to tutor for game-ending threats. The strategic depth and the potential for explosive plays quickly made it a favourite among competitive players. Though it hasn’t seen any direct reprints in premier sets, its impact on various formats remains substantial. The card’s availability and price have fluctuated over time, reflecting its continued demand and perceived power level.
Understanding the Mechanics and Synergies of Natural Order
At its core, Natural Order MTG is a simple card: sacrifice a green creature, search your library for a creature card, and put that creature onto the battlefield. However, the true power of Natural Order lies in the strategic choices it presents and the synergies it unlocks. It forces you to carefully consider which green creature to sacrifice, balancing the immediate cost with the potential reward. It requires you to anticipate your opponent’s responses and to build your deck with a clear plan in mind.
The key to maximizing the value of Natural Order lies in understanding its synergies. The first crucial element is the “sacrifice fodder” – the green creatures that you’re willing to lose in order to cast Natural Order. Common choices include mana dorks like Llanowar Elves and Birds of Paradise, which provide early mana acceleration but lose their value as the game progresses. Dryad Arbor, a land that enters the battlefield as a green creature, is another popular choice, offering a consistent and relatively painless way to pay the sacrifice cost. These creatures allow you to convert early mana acceleration into a late-game threat, effectively turning your early advantage into a decisive blow.
The second, and arguably more important, element is the “tutor target” – the creature that you search for with Natural Order. The best tutor targets are creatures that can immediately impact the game, either by winning the game outright or by setting up a powerful advantage. Craterhoof Behemoth is a classic example, providing a massive boost to your existing creatures and often leading to a lethal attack. Progenitus, with its protection from everything, can be a resilient and difficult-to-answer threat. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, with its devastating effects on opposing creatures, can shut down entire strategies. The optimal tutor target will depend on the specific game state and the overall strategy of your deck.
Deckbuilding for Natural Order decks is all about planning for multiple scenarios. You need to ensure that you have enough green creatures to reliably cast Natural Order, and you need to have a variety of tutor targets that can address different threats and opportunities. You want creatures that can win the game, but also creatures that can help you stabilize or disrupt your opponent’s plans.
A particularly noteworthy aspect is the risk and reward associated with casting Natural Order MTG. You are essentially trading two cards (Natural Order and the sacrificed creature) for one (the tutored creature). If your opponent has a removal spell in hand, they can respond to Natural Order by destroying the tutored creature, leaving you with a significant card disadvantage. This is why timing and board state awareness are crucial when playing Natural Order. You need to assess the risks and determine whether the potential reward is worth the gamble.
Natural Order’s Impact on Various Formats
The influence of Natural Order MTG extends across multiple formats, with varying degrees of prominence. In Legacy, it remains a potent force, historically shaping the metagame and continuing to see play in various archetypes. Elves, a classic Legacy deck, often uses Natural Order to tutor for Craterhoof Behemoth, providing a devastating finisher. Nic Fit, another prominent Legacy archetype, leverages Natural Order to search for versatile threats like Primeval Titan or Reclamation Sage, adapting to different matchups and board states.
Vintage, while less directly influenced by Natural Order than Legacy, can still see the card in specific strategies. The raw power of Vintage often overshadows more subtle plays, but the ability to quickly find a key creature can still be relevant.
Commander, or EDH, has embraced Natural Order with open arms. Its versatility, combined with the high power level of many Commander creatures, makes it a natural fit for the format. Commanders with a green identity, such as those that generate mana or synergize with creatures, often pair exceptionally well with Natural Order. In a multiplayer environment, the ability to quickly tutor for a game-winning threat or a powerful board control piece can be incredibly valuable. It is important, however, to discuss power levels and expectations with your playgroup and decide whether fast mana and powerful tutors like Natural Order are appropriate for your particular play style. It also needs to be said that the card can contribute to a fast paced game which isn’t what some players may want from the format.
Strengths and Vulnerabilities of a Green Giant
Natural Order MTG possesses a range of strengths that contribute to its lasting appeal. Its tutoring power is undeniable, providing unparalleled access to specific creatures in your deck. Its potential to end the game quickly makes it a threat to be reckoned with, forcing opponents to respect its presence on the board. Its versatility allows it to slot into a variety of decks and strategies, adapting to different metagames and play styles.
However, Natural Order is not without its weaknesses. It is inherently vulnerable to removal, as opponents can destroy the tutored creature in response to the spell. It demands a significant mana investment, potentially slowing down your early game. It requires a green creature to sacrifice, which can be a drawback if you are mana screwed or facing an opponent who can disrupt your mana base. It can also be susceptible to graveyard hate, particularly if you are using it to tutor for a creature that relies on the graveyard, such as a reanimation target.
The Modern Relevance of a Classic
The question remains: is Natural Order MTG still a worthwhile card in today’s Magic landscape? The answer, as with most things in Magic, is nuanced and depends on the format, the metagame, and your individual play style.
In Legacy, Natural Order remains a competitive option, although it faces increasing competition from other powerful strategies. The speed and efficiency of modern Legacy decks demand careful planning and precise execution, and Natural Order decks must be built and played with a clear understanding of the current metagame.
In Commander, Natural Order remains a highly desirable card, but it is important to consider the power level of your playgroup and to ensure that your deck is appropriately tuned for the environment.
The secondary market price reflects its strength. The card is also becoming more and more powerful due to the increasing power creep of creatures. The card allows for high power, modern creatures, which are more powerful than those available during its initial release, to hit the board.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Green Power
Natural Order MTG stands as a testament to the power and versatility of green in Magic: The Gathering. From its humble beginnings in Visions to its current status as a Legacy and Commander staple, it has consistently proven its ability to shape games and define strategies. While it faces challenges in the modern metagame, its tutoring power, game-ending potential, and strategic depth ensure that it will remain a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Whether you’re a seasoned Legacy player, a Commander enthusiast, or simply a Magic fan looking to explore the rich history of the game, Natural Order is a card worth understanding. It’s a card that rewards strategic thinking, careful deckbuilding, and a willingness to take calculated risks. It’s a card that embodies the explosive potential of green and the enduring appeal of Magic: The Gathering. What are your favourite plays that include the card Natural Order MTG?
