An opponent can have a hand full of excellent spells and still struggle if they cannot produce the mana to cast them.

Oath Ponza is Gamelandia’s red-green Premodern control loaner deck built around the idea of land denial. It combines land disruption with [[Oath of Druids]] and a large finishing creature that loves lands being in the graveyard. Try it if you enjoy planning several turns ahead and limiting the resources your opponent can use.

How Oath Ponza wins

[[Thermokarst]] and [[Winter's Grasp]] destroy lands. [[Wasteland]] answers nonbasic lands, while [[Rishadan Port]] can tap a land at a moment when the opponent would rather have that mana available.

[[Sphere of Resistance]] adds another layer by making spells cost more. Those effects can make it difficult for an opponent to develop their battlefield or hold up answers.

Then [[Terravore]] supplies the pressure. Its power and toughness depend on the number of land cards in all graveyards, and it has trample. The land destruction that restricts your opponent also helps seal their doom by building your finishing threat.

Where Oath of Druids fits

This main deck contains only four creature cards, all Terravores. When Oath’s condition is met and you use its ability, those are the creatures it can find in your library.

Oath is not an unconditional way to get a creature every turn. It checks creature counts, and the opponent needs to have more creatures than you for you to use it during your upkeep. The enchantment can also help the opponent during their upkeep if the creature counts favor them.

Your creature lands offer another route to damage. [[Mishra's Factory]] and [[Treetop Village]] become creatures through activated abilities, so Sphere’s spell tax does not increase those activation costs.

Your first game

Look for a hand with usable mana and an early plan. [[Mox Diamond]] can accelerate your development, but you must account for the land you discard to keep it. An exciting opening becomes less useful if you leave yourself unable to cast anything afterward.

Choose land targets with a purpose. Cutting off an important color or keeping an opponent away from a key mana threshold may be more useful than simply destroying the first land you see.

Remember that Sphere affects your spells too. Consider what you need to cast next before making everything more expensive.

[[Sylvan Library]] helps you find the pieces you need, but taking extra cards can cost significant life. Match that decision to the pressure you are facing.

Sideboard options

[[Pyroblast]] and [[Red Elemental Blast]] help against blue strategies. Extra [[Pyroclasm]] copies answer small creatures, while [[Zuran Orb]] can turn lands into life.

[[Call of the Herd]] offers a different threat plan, but its tokens change the creature counts that Oath cares about. Think about how those plans interact before sideboarding.

Gamelandia’s Oath Ponza loaner decklist

[deck title="Oath Ponza | Gamelandia Premodern Loaner"]

Main deck
3 Forest
4 Karplusan Forest
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Mountain
4 Mox Diamond
2 Naturalize
4 Oath of Druids
2 Pyroclasm
4 Rishadan Port
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Sylvan Library
4 Terravore
4 Thermokarst
4 Treetop Village
4 Wasteland
4 Winter's Grasp
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard
3 Call of the Herd
2 Naturalize
1 Phyrexian Furnace
2 Pyroblast
2 Pyroclasm
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Zuran Orb

[/deck]

Make your next land drop matter

Ask about borrowing Oath Ponza for Wednesday Premodern at Gamelandia in Palo Alto. Loaner choices depend on availability, so contact us before your visit if you want this deck.

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