Not Your Average Bears: A Story Lost to the Ages

Commander / EDH* MachoGau

SCORE: 66 | 40 COMMENTS | 12179 VIEWS | IN 33 FOLDERS


Amonkhet Update —April 19, 2017

First up, on a completely not-related-to-Amonkhet note, I ended up throwing Imprisoned in the Moon into the deck after Perilous Forays was not meeting expectations and it has been amazing oh my lanta. I'm debating finding another card to cut for Songs of the Dryad but for now just Imprisoned is going to be fine.

+1Imprisoned in the Moon
-1 Perilous Forays

I tried Indrik Stomphowler guys. I tried so hard to like it but it really does not do enough. We're throwing in Aura Shards in its stead. I've never particularly liked playing against it (probably because it's pretty effective at destroying all the things I hold dear) and it certainly works well with tokens.

+1 Aura Shards
-1 Indrik Stomphowler

Other cards I'm considering: Kira, Great Glass-Spinner. In a deck that likes to protect it's board, Kira is amazing in conjunction with Spellskite. Heroic Intervention, Selfless Spirit, and Dauntless Escort are also rolling around the brain. Also, Admonition Angel.

And now for the new sweet Amonkhet cards!:

None of them.
EDIT: JK I like Khenra Charioteer.

+1 Khenra Charioteer
-1 Stonehoof Chieftain who is too much mana for too little of an effect. I could see it working better in a mono green stompy deck.

So as it turns out, there's actually nothing I want from Amonkhet for Kynaios and Tiro. Kefnet the Mindful was under consideration but ultimately probably won't make it into the deck. That said, I have a new primer coming up for Tasigur, the Golden Fang that was inspired by the new Amonkhet cards as well as a new primer for Intet, the Dreamer who has been primer-less for way too long considering it's my oldest deck.

Some edits thanks to a suggestion from the comments section:
+1 Khalni Gem
-1 Kruphix, God of Horizons

+1 Trygon Predator
-1 Traverse the Ulvenwald (only because I need it in a modern deck and cannot be bothered to trade for/buy another)

WolvenWheeler says... #1

I do love bears. . . upvote

March 16, 2017 9:28 p.m.

TheRedGoat says... #2

So I've got a few questions for your build and few for brewing ideas.

Firstly with your build, how do you feel about Meloku the Clouded Mirror and similar cards used in tandem with the landfall synergies? I can't place the deck name, but I've seen a version of "K and T" that could use those types of cards and Cloudstone Curio for infinite landfall triggers. Or if you're against infinite combo, what about maybe Pearl Lake Ancient? Again this is more a curiosity on your view of the "bounce lands" type effect for a landfall deck over suggesting them for your build.

As for my other questions about deck brewing, I'm for sure wanting to actually use the full group ramp cards like Mana Flare and its twin Heartbeat of Spring (among many others), but it is meant to be combined with combo wins such as making multiple copies of Biovisionary in a single turn, or playing Helix Pinnacle early and using the ramp to accelerate the clock. What I'm getting sorta stalled on is the filler space between my win conditions like that and the cards I'm using to get them.

I'm fairly certain the deck would have to be group hug in nature, but I'm sketchy about how much or little hug I should run given how I'm intending to win with it.

April 17, 2017 2:25 a.m.

MachoGau says... #3

Hey TheRedGoat! I really like your idea of Meloku the Clouded Mirror. I haven't tried her or Cloudstone Curio yet. I think they'd fit into a slightly different landfall deck archetype than what I have here. My only worry is not having enough effects that allow me to throw the lands back out onto the battlefield from my hand but otherwise both seem like solid inclusions. For me personally, I find that the inclusion of Rith's Grove, Treva's Ruins, and especially Mina and Denn, Wildborn since they bounce and allow for extra land drops are enough bounce have been enough. I could definitely see a neat build taking advantage of replaying the scrylands to manipulate the top of your library that would be interesting.

In regards to your brewing questions, I personally do not utilize full table ramp because a lot of the time, in my playgroups and local game store it'll enable someone to combo off several turns earlier. Typically, everyone else will get the ramp effect before it loops back around to your turn. I personally, would lean towards Regal Behemoth, Mana Reflection, and Zendikar Resurgent to get you towards the Helix Pinnacle. If you do go the Mana Flare route, I'd go with no more than 3 of the effect while running Enlightened Tutor, Idyllic Tutor, and Sterling Grove to ensure you're never drawing dead mana doublers and also allowing you to go down an enchantress sub-theme if you chose to. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference with how much hug you want to give. Proxying the deck and playtesting it with some friends is always a great way to test out which hug effects are working best for you and which are underperforming. Hope that helps!

April 17, 2017 9:27 p.m.

TheRedGoat says... #4

I think I see what you mean with running the mana accelerators, but I do know from some minor playtesting other decks that my group doesn't really go for combo wins themselves. We basically all build decks that try to accumulate high value cards either in hand or on the board. And to that end an enchantress deck with group hug added on to it would fit in perfectly.

Do note for yourself that the combo with Cloudstone Curio actually goes off with Patron of the Moon and having out Amulet of Vigor to generate not only infinite mana but also infinite landfall triggers. Meloku is more of the accumulated value type of card by comparison. Or illusion tribal. Whatever works.

April 18, 2017 11:04 a.m.