Classic Mono-Green Stompy:
Turn creatures sideways until your opponent is at 0 life. A very simple, fun and cheap deck that can steal wins against most top-tier decks. Green Stompy is perfect for new and casual players that want to get into modern. This version has been played a lot and has been modified to my local metagame. Has an overall 50%-60% winrate.
Game-plan:
This deck aims for a turn 4 kill, but can also do work even if the game drags on for a bit. The deck aims to play creatures on curve until turn 4 where you kill off your opponent with pump-spells.
Aspect of Hydra
is the primary win-spell, together with Vines of Vastwood, which should primarily be played as a protection for your creatures.
What to mulligan for:
Experiment One is the best turn 1 spell, followed up with a Strangleroot Geist on turn 2 and
Leatherback Baloth
on turn 3, which sets up a lethal. The deck often wins without the 3-drop, simply with Strangleroot Geist, Avatar of the Resolute and pump-spells. You dont absolutely need a turn 1 play, but it is much desired.
Side-board:
Combo-decks: Probably none. Stompy is pretty non-interactive but can be favored against many combo-decks though it often relies on a good draw.
Death's Shadow: Dismember, Prey Upon, gotta kill that sucker quick!
Aggro/Burn: Prey Upon, Spellskite, Obstinate Baloth, Thragtusk
Infect: Prey Upon, Dismember, Melira, Sylvok Outcast, Spellskite
Midrange/Tribal/Creature-heavy: Garruk, Primal Hunter, Prey Upon, Dismember
Control: Thrun, the Last Troll(if against blue), Garruk, Primal Hunter
All artifact/enchantment:
Deglamer
Affinity:
Deglamer
,
Creeping Corrosion
Jund: Obstinate Baloth, Prey Upon, Dismember, Garruk, Primal Hunter
Suicide-Zoo: Dismember, Prey Upon
Eldrazi: A hard match-up. Intelligent use of Prey Upon and Dismember can win you a game
Kalonian Tusker, Scavenging Ooze or Garruk's Companion?
The deck runs 12 2-mana creatures. Strangleroot Geist and Avatar of the Resolute are clearly the most effective, the last slot depends on the match-up. Kalonian Tusker is probably the default choice, but Scavenging Ooze can be very effectivt against many of the popular decks in the format. Without graveyard interaction however, the Ooze is a lot less effective and much slower than both Tusker and Garruk's Companion, since it lacks stats and doesnt synergize as well with Experiment One or Aspect of Hydra. Garruks Companion can be a better choice than Tusker depending on the relevance of tramble.
On the defence
Sometimes you have to do more than just keep turning dudes sidways. In tribal match-ups like Sliver, Merfolk and Elves, it can be wise to hold back your attackers and wait for a huge swing with Dungrove Elder w. Rancor. I have had Garruk, Primal Hunter win several games against Elves and Merfolk by keep pumping out 3/3's. The same is true for burn, which is a much easier matchup. It is easy to hold back a blocker to stop any Goblin Guides and Monastery Swiftspears.
4 and 5-mana spells?
It is generally considered bad to include anything above 3 mana. Stompy is an aggro deck and even though something like
Khalni Hydra
seems to fit perfectly, it is simply too expensive and hard to get out. In the sideboard though, I think you can get away with a few more expensive cards just as long as they bring something new to the table. A 5-mana spell in your sideboard cant just be another big trampler, but needs to do something that your deck is not already doing. Garruk, Primal Hunter allows the deck to play the long game and Thrun, the Last Troll can be very hard for many decks to deal with.
Some common rules for new players to be aware of
- Rancor remains attached to Experiment One when it regenerates. Strangelroot Geist loses Rancor when undying triggers.
- Rancor does not go to your hand if the target creature is killed in response to you casting it.
- Rancor is a permanent and therefore counts towards your devotion to green
- Spellskite can target Rancor
- You cannot choose to regenerate Experiment One after damage is dealt. Since damage does not go on the stack, regenerating Experiment One by removing two +1/+1 counters must be done before combat damage.
- Treetop Village is not a forest and therefore doesn't count towards the power/toughness of Dungrove Elder
- Vines of Vastwood can be used to prevent your opponent from buffing his/her creatures
- Avatar of the Resolute does not get a +1/+1 counter from giving Experiment One a +1/+1 counter
