Baloth Pup

Creature — Beast

Baloth Pup has trample as long as it has a +1/+1 counter on it.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (34)

jgc10 on Beasteality

6 years ago

shadow63 I went back and forth between Baloth Pup and Brushstrider. Both have their upsides. Maybe a playset of the pup would be good for the sideboard. Chancellor of the Tangle is a good suggestion, I haven't seen that one yet.

shadow63 on Beasteality

6 years ago

Chancellor of the Tangle might be something this deck could use alsoBaloth Pup might be good

greatdevourer on Tips for Momir Vig? 3rd iteration

6 years ago

Let me start by saying that you have picked a great commander. I like Momir Vig, Simic Visionary. He is so much fun, as long as you don't mind shuffling alot. Here's my Simic deck Simic Toolbox for a reference.
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary let you build a toolbox deck that has many options and deal with a wide variety of threats. Let's use that.

I'm going to start with basic strategy, then move onto what to remove, and then what to consider putting in.
Due to the likelyhood of Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Gaea's Blessing, or Elixir of Immortality being in an opponent's deck, the mill stategies tand to not work well in commander games. Especially multi-player games. Now, I'm not saying that you can't mill the opponents, just don't rely on that stategy too much.
Additionally, you should be in the 34 to 38 lands range. Only having 29 lands could really slow you down. Don't rely on mana creatures because opponents will target them to hinder you.

I would remove the following:
Blanchwood Armor, only sees forest, auras aren't that good in commander, and there are better options.
Curse of the Bloody Tome, only works on a sinlge opponent.
Khalni Heart Expedition, there are much moer efficient land seach methods.
Ring of Kalonia and Ring of Thune, there are better equipments and other artifacts to consider.
Gridlock, weak tap target permanent ability. Too much of a mana sink.
Gatecreeper Vine, Creatures with defender can't attack and in later parts of the game, just disappoint more often than help. The search for a gate only nets one card.
Skullwinder helps your opponents as much as it helps you.
Wood Elves only finds a forest. Borderland Ranger, Sylvan Ranger, or Farhaven Elf may be better options. And/Or add Breeding Pool.

Without haste, creatuers that have tap abilities are just targets until they lose summoning sickness. Let's minimize those.
Boreal Druid, Kiora's Follower, Llanowar Elves, Merfolk Mesmerist are all cards to consider cutting for lands or stronger creatures.

These are maybe remove or maybe keep, depends on where you want to focus:
Fertile Ground, more land would be better.
Ghostly Touch, better ways to untap a permanent
Paragon of Eternal Wilds, only sees green creatures.

Now for the toolbox creatures. Let's really expand on your +1 counters theme. In no particular order:
From my deck, look at Cytoplast Manipulator, Cytoplast Root-Kin, Cytospawn Shambler, Forgotten Ancient, Helium Squirter, Plaxcaster Frogling, Spike Feeder, Spike Weaver, Triskelion.
Additionally Armorcraft Judge, Baloth Pup, Oran-Rief Hydra, Ainok Guide, Avatar of the Resolute, Battlefront Krushok, Hooded Hydra, Experiment Kraj, Fertilid are all fun cards with abilities that capitalize on counters.
Mystic Snake gives you a repeatable counterspell when you have Roaring Primadox or a Crystal Shard on the field.
Murkfiend Liege, makes everything stronger and untaps your dudes each turn. Truly obnoxious with a Hair-Strung Koto in play.
Gilder Bairn can accelerate your creatures and planeswalkers. But to really abuse it you need a Holdout Settlement, Springleaf Drum or Hair-Strung Koto in play to tap it.
Sphinx of Magosi has been a favorite of mine in commander decks. Flyer, card draw, and keeps gettign bigger.
Omnibian is a good way to remove an opponents blocking creature by reducing it to a 3/3 after blockers are declared and before damage happens.
Simic Guildmage is good for the counters, but if you really want to run some auras then he gets better.

Other cards to consider:
Crystal Shard lets you block and then bounce a creature you control so that you can reuse the 'enters the battlefield' triggers.
Durable Handicraft give you an option to put a counter on any creatures as it enters the field.
Hardened Scales is a great card in this deck and is cheaper than Doubling Season.
Halimar Depths, Khalni Garden, Llanowar Reborn, Oran-Rief, the Vastwood, Temple of Mystery and Treetop Village have always been good to me.
Simic Growth Chamber lets you bounce the Halimar Depths, Khalni Garden or a tapped basic. Also retriggers the landfall cards.

Writing this up has made me want to get off my chair and go build my Simic commander deck. Thanks!I hope that these suggestions help you. As always, temper these suggestions with your collection and your budget. Feel free to take a look at my decks and let me know what you think.

fadelightningmm on Another thread asking for help …

7 years ago

For me building a deck is a very interesting process.

Someone above mentioned building around a card whether it be a commander or a card in the 99. I believe the most fun decks are the build around decks. For instance Predatory Instinct is basically a mono green Yisan, the Wanderer Bard good stuff deck, but it's built in a way that you use each cmc as a stepping stone. It's my favorite deck.

Another deck I'm really enjoying currently is my Rishkar, Peema Renegade deck Grass Roots Rebellion. For this deck I really wanted to play mono green 1/1 counters and make Baloth Pup a real beast.

A friend of mine built a Villainous Wealth deck that's really cool too.

The beauty of edh is that if you like a card most likely it's something you can build around.

It can be difficult to get a solid idea down, but if you bounce ideas off your play group or the community you'll get a hang of it. In my group if I goof up on a build someone in the group will be interested in the pieces.

Murphy77 on

7 years ago

Thanks for the comment HairyManBack,

I started this deck with Blossoming Defense in place of Lifecrafter's Bestiary and found that I had enough protection for Baloth Pup as an early beat-stick with trample. I have tried both Sylvan Advocate and Narnam Renegade in this slot and neither seem to have any great impact. I agree that some more counter generation is a good idea. I haven't yet taken this deck to an FNM, but was considering replacing Baloth Pup with Undergrowth Champion when I do.

Playing around with friends and family, I have found that if you get your card draw and creature summon engine running, you can fill the field quite quickly and swarm attack, leading with Drana, Liberator of Malakir boosting everything by at least +2/+2.

Penguinator5000 on GB Counters

7 years ago

Hey, JoltsOfEnergy. Thanks for the input.

Took your advice and upped Rishkar, Peema Renegade, Drana, Liberator of Malakir and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar to 2 each. I have also removed the white spells from the deck for now because I just don't feel like they are worth splashing a third colour for. This allowed me to take out Attune with Aether to free up some room.

Baloth Pup removed as well. x2 Walking Ballista added and x4 Narnam Renegade.

I would like to add the others, but I am finding it difficult to fit in (not the greatest deck builder in the world).

Let me know what you think. :)

HairyManBack on

7 years ago

This is a surprisingly unique golgari counter theme. Absolutely am digging the Paradox and Rite combo-ramp. Also loved how you have back draw and mana sinking with Duskwatch Recruiter  ^Flip. Well made.

Improvements that I see could happen are more counters. Outside of Rishkar there doesn't seem to be a good solid counter placement. Drana is obviously great when it gets through, but often removed before combat.

I could see Sylvan Advocate over Baloth Pup. Pup's defense is too low for standard. Sylvan's a late game wincon as well vigilance for the rite/dryad.

SlippinJimmy on Winner of 2 Game Days - B/G Counters

7 years ago

Well i've felt Narnam Renegade was underwhelming for awhile, perhaps Walking Ballista is the ideal fit over Baloth Pup.

If people cheesing with the Saheeli combo is a serious problem then that combined with boarding in Ruinous Path should take care of it, although tweaking the land ratio and/or a mulligan on an otherwise fine hand might be necessary to pull off the 2 black turn 3.

I'd like to say no ones going to abuse that combo because where's the fun in that, but then I remember everyone and their dog playing Electrostatic Pummeler decks for a few weeks and I come to my senses.