Monstrous Carabid

Creature — Insect

Monstrous Carabid attacks each turn if able.

Cycling {{B/R}} ({{B/R}}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Legality

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

Discussion (14)

killer_eye on Golgari Song (cycling deck)

5 years ago

ok, went to a small tournament and the result was quite surprising:

Mulldrifter: isn't good from what i've thought initially, it's so slow and after the game i just realized that Krosan Tusker is a much better card over it. it's funny how i recall that from my old jund list i included tusker only to be cut in my last version of the deck because i feel it was slow.

overall, this list is still in testing and i'd still continue in sultai colors as o believe that Architects of Will is the better cycling card over Monstrous Carabid and sultai has a better sideboard option than jund

metalevolence on

6 years ago

to be completely honest, I think crypt of agadeem is just too slow and bad to make work in any format except kitchen table casual

That said, you could use a few more ways to get cards in your graveyard, and you need to max out on black creatures wherever possible. The profane commands could probably be switched out for some big dumb black creature(s), I'm not sure what might be good and budget off the top of my head.

Also consider adding anywhere from 2-8 black cycling creatures for powering up crypt and getting more dredge triggers. Idk if Street Wraith is in budget, but there's also stuff like Horror of the Broken Lands, Monstrous Carabid, Architects of Will, Lurching Rotbeast

I also just realized this list has zero interaction with the opponent outside of profane command... This deck is far too slow to win without disrupting the opponent. At least look for some black creatures that can interact with your opponent in some way like Shriekmaw or Big Game Hunter or something, idk if there are any that are good in modern. If not then you'll have to jam some fatal push/abrupt decay/inquisition of kozilek.

Zaueski on 5 Color Living End

6 years ago

Ingot Chewer doesn't evoke at instant speed, and it doesn't hit Rest in Peace. The body is substandard and, as you guys mentioned... it's a definite nonbo with Architects of Will.

Blue offers me kill speed, with only Jund as an option I'm forced to use more creatures like Deadshot Minotaur which are just pathetic. Curator of Mysteries is highly evasive and the combo with Horror of the Broken Lands is unbelievably powerful. Striped Riverwinder is just a beast at 5/5 and having hexproof to boot is incredible.

Archfiend of Ifnir was originally in Monstrous Carabid's spot but got replaced due to speed. Cycle is hard on this deck because its goal is to go off faster with more power in the graveyard than Jund LE. I sacrificed resiliency for speed in Game 1 and in game 2 we have different options than most people expect so I can clear out their hate easier. Wear / Tear being able to hit Rest in Peace and Blood Moon is huge.

Architects of Will stays in instead of Monstrous Carabid 3-4 because of the effect. It's easy to cycle and burying a card they need to stop you is crucial.

Realistically, I can't afford another Fulminator Mage before the Open, but the Nimble Obstructionist is the most flex spot in the sideboard so I'm not opposed to having a 3rd Fulm

thunderlicous on 5 Color Living End

6 years ago

I second EmblemMan's suggestion of Ingot Chewer. It just plays better with Living End strategies, and most enchantments that are in the meta aren't worth dealing with, as most decks have resorted to Grafdigger's Cage, which doesn't interact with the combo at all, and Relic of Progenitus/Nihil Spellbomb, which we try to just make them crack early and rebuild from there. I also recommend trying to get all 4 Fulminator Mage in the 75 somewhere. I'd expect to see a lot of E-tron at an SCG open, and the ability to hit their lands and slow them down is what made the Living End match-up so good.

As an aside, why the 2/2 split of Architects of Will and Monstrous Carabid? Most lists I see will go with the carabid as it doesn't die to most 1 mana removal at the cost of having to attack each turn. Also, most moved away from Architects as it's a non-bo with Ingot Chewer.

Zaueski on 5 Color Living End

6 years ago

If you want mainboard Faerie Macabre then I'd swap it for Fulminator Mage and Beast Within or the Archfiend of Ifnirs. Currently I'm testing a version without Archfiend and instead running Monstrous Carabid for even more fast cycling. The name of this variant is speed and its been running well for me.

Chino90 on

6 years ago

Horror of the Broken Lands seems like a good replacement for River Serpent, and a better option than Monstrous Carabid - since you can pump it on the turn you attack after casting living end.

Chino90 on

6 years ago

A final thought: Sometimes I bring back the whole GY when using Living End, making River Serpent unable to attack or block. Wouldn't be a much safer choice to play Monstrous Carabid in its place? It is 1 power and toughness short, but you have 4 damage granted instead of 5 conditional.

MrSableye on Living End Scapeshift

7 years ago

I play a lot of living end and I tested Kari Zev's Expertise and I found it was so bad. It can only be a 1 of at best. I like fulminator mage but that's just a meta call if you play against no tron/ eldrazi/ 3 color deck that could be cut off of a color. I recommend Architects of Will even if you aren't playing a blue land it ensures you that your opponent is cut off from resources for ~3 turns after you living end. A single copy of Overgrown Tomb is needed in your land base that way you aren't losing too many mountains if you have Wooded Foothills and are trying to cycle a Monstrous Carabid. Beast Within is a better removal spell than Shriekmaw in most cases. Run Simian Spirit Guide in the main board, a) it does nothing in the sideboard, and b) it can let you win on turn three if you start with the nut hand.