Erstwhile Trooper

Creature — Zombie Soldier

Discard a creature card: Erstwhile Trooper gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.

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
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (3)

ShrimpImp on Golgari Scavenge

5 years ago

thanks Chasmolinker! was actually originally running Stinkweed Imp in addition to Dreg Mangler and liked the synergy with the graveyard building. the only problem i found with the imp is that i don't have any additional card draw in the deck and it replaces the draw step. i'm thinking about replacing Erstwhile Trooper with the imp, but then i lack even more discard abilities. i do agree with the Corpsejack Menace replacement though, will brew around with that!

multimedia on Could you call a neckbeard "undergrowth"?

5 years ago

Hey, nice prerelease sealed deck, but a deck like this doesn't translate well to Standard.

This is fine list of cards you want to play in Standard, but it's not yet a finished deck. Starting out making a list of cards is good, everyone starts out doing this, but the next step is to narrow down the list. Keep the good cards and cut the rest. For Standard decks don't build them like sealed decks. You can use up to four copies of a card in a Standard deck and you have freedom to play the better cards and cut the least good cards.

For example here cards like Glowspore Shaman, Kraul Harpooner, Golgari Findbroker, Underrealm Lich, Izoni, Thousand-Eyed, Find / Finality, Status / Statue even Swarm Guildmage are all good cards for Standard. Why are they good cards for Standard? They either give you value when ETB (enters the battlefield) (Glowspore, Findbroker). Have good stats (power and toughness) for their mana cost (Hapooner, Glowspore). They can win you the game if not answered right away (Lich, Izoni) or they give you a lot of options for a single card (Status, Find).

In contrast cards like Child of Night, Moodmark Painter, Hired Poisoner, Erstwhile Trooper, Grappling Sundew, Deadly Visit, etc. are not cards for Standard because there's many other cards that cost the same that are better options.

I don't want to tell you how to make your deck. I'm simply giving you some advice of how to improve it for Standard. In Standard you can also play cards from other sets. In Guilds of Ravnica Standard which starts Oct. 5th you can also play cards from sets: Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, Core Set 2019 (M19) and Dominaria. Using cards from all these sets and cards from Guilds of Ravnica you can build a good budget casual Golgari Standard deck with only uncommon/common cards with a sprinkling of rares/mythics that you have.

Here are three strong budget cards for Golgari: Dusk Legion Zealot, Plaguecrafter and Ravenous Chupacabra.

I offer more advice such as good practices when building a Standard deck, etc. Would you like more advice?

multimedia on Vraska, Our Queen’s Swarm

5 years ago

Hey, I agree with WintersWrath. 24 lands is better to be able to more consistently cast Jadelight as well as Troll turn three. 14 sources of green is low in the manabase to consistently cast turn three Jadelight. Consider adding 2x more green sources (2x Forest or 2x Golgari Guildgate) making 16 sources? Cutting Status. More green sources also helps Findbroker.

I think Erstwhile Trooper is being overlooked for Golgari undergrowth decks. He's a free creature discard outlet each turn even the turn you play him. You can discard a creature on your turn and another one on your opponent's turn. Being able to make him a 4/4 blocker at instant speed on your opponent's turn after playing him is good.

I suggest picking either Doom Whisperer or Underrealm Lich playing one of them main deck and sideboarding the other. Whisperer is a better main deck finisher in my opinion because he's good against aggro. Lich is not good against aggro (only 3 toughness and too risky to pay 4 life to make him indestructible) therefore I wouldn't main deck him instead I would play him in the sideboard to use him in midrange and control matchups. Seven main deck five drops with only 22 or even 24 lands with no early game land ramp is very risky.

Consider 4x Glowspore Shaman? I think Supplier and Glowspore are your two best early game enablers for undergrowth because they have potential to put the most creatures into the graveyard. They give you the most potential of having a creature in the yard to fuel turn three Troll. Also consider Seekers' Squire? Even more explore, more two drops who can help to put creatures into the graveyard which is good fuel for Troll. Another option to consider is Discovery / Dispersal? Discovery can be cast for black mana and surveil 2 as well as a draw a card is a good undergrowth enabler.

Consider this example:

• 4x Supplier
• 4x Glowspore
• 3x Branchwalker
• 3x Squire or Discovery
• 4x Troll
• 4x Jadelight
• 2x Trooper
• 3x Findbroker
• 4x Whisperer
• 1x Molderhulk

Findbroker can get back any one permanent card from the graveyard you can take advantage of this in the sideboard. The Eldest Reborn (midrange/control matchups), Arguel's Blood Fast  ^Flip (midrange/control matchups) are very good sideboard cards for black that are permanents. Kitesail Freebooter is a creature Duress, it's worth considering playing instead of Duress because it's a creature; more synergy with the undergrowth strategy.

Good luck with your deck.