This deck gets its name from its potential to muster the two elders - Dragonlord Atarka (elder dragon) and Elder Deep-Fiend - fast enough to completely dominate the game. Respect them, foes.
Looking for a way to run 3 Elder Deep-Fiend efficiently? Well, here it is. This deck has evolved (pun intended) a great deal since I started building it. At the current time, the goal of the deck is to cheat the manacurve using Eldritch Evolution and the emerge effect, specifically by way of
Foul Emissary
. Ideally, you can outstrip your opponent's creature power quickly with a good hand. When this build gets on a roll it's pretty much unstoppable for opponents. Ideal start for the deck is T1 - dual land, T2 - advocate or visionary, T3 - foul emissary, finding elder deep-fiend, T4 - lock opponent's board at upkeep, create 3/2 when casting deep-fiend and rolling from there..... God forbid the deck get back to back deep-fiend turns, it's almost cruel watching your opponent sit there while you do over 3/4 of their damage in two turns. Anyway.....
The deck is made effective by 2-for-1's and cantrip abilities. Also, a burn component is necessary to pick up the slack that temur's beastly creatures can't.
Here's my reasoning for the cards I have included in the deck. Please ask for further clarification, if needed.
Eldritch Evolution allows the deck to accelerate into beatstick creatures or find whatever is necessary to hold the boardstate in your favour.
Foul Emissary
is great for searching out something for your hand and also interacts with the emerge ability in a very favourable way.
Elder Deep-Fiend is a heavy lock on the opponents. Ideally, you want to drop it turn 4 on the opoonent's upkeep, sac'ing Foul Emissary to create a 3/2 and locking the other player's manabase.
Wretched Gryff
is a great common. It's usually a 3/4 flyer with a draw trigger for 3.
Elvish Visionary is perhaps the most ideal turn 2 play. The draw trigger helps the deck to keep producing creatures and lands into the later turns. It's also a blockers or a sac outlet for emerge.
Sylvan Advocate is a great defenseman for the squad who also interacts with the manlands to help close out opponents late-game.
Thunderbreak Regent helps protect the deck's other dragons, namely Icefall Regent, which is intended to completely remove an opponent's creature from combat abilities. Its ability gives opponents a tough choice, and its 4/4 flying body is both large and evasive.
Icefall Regent interrupts opponents and is an evasive attacker. The deck makes great use of flying as a mechanic, which can either give the deck leeway to win, or conversely can help the deck stand up against other flying decks such as spirits.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar works well with emerge. The 2 1/1 thopters stick around, so essentially it adds a ton of value as a stepping stone. Also, the built-in burn ability is a nice complement that the deck needs quite often to close out against other creature-based decks.
Bounding Krasis is a dick. Works well, but when testing I didn't like him as a 3-of or 4-of. He's good as a 2-of that can be sideboarded out, as needed.
Dragonlord Atarka is the be 'all-end all' for the deck. It absolutely nukes the opponents board, has evasive flying ability and is almost impossible to prevent damage from on account of trample. It's a late-game closer.
Fiery Impulse
and
Incendiary Flow
are your average burnspells. They take up the extra space the deck has and fills the purpose of providing selective damage. Although neither deal a ton of damage, they can be used to supplement combat damage to finish the job.
Lumbering Falls and Wandering Fumarole interact with Sylvan Advocate to put pressure on the opponents. Lumbering Falls has a habit of winning matches against control decks on account of the hexproof ability, therefore I have included a 4th copy in the sideboard which I use to replace Wandering Fumarole.
As you can see, everything has a useful purpose in the deck. It works very well against most of what's in the meta right now. The flying abilities are huge for winning. The big bodies are more often than not what makes the deck able to overwhelm the opponent's, and the ability to cheat the manacurve helps the deck stay on tempo.
I will say one thing: the deck takes a while to learn to play. As you playtest do not be scared to try unconventional things during your turn to see how they work. You can really scheme with this brew, so try hard and figure it out. Go have kicking some butt at FNM!
Note: This deck is a finish product as it stands for me as a player. You may need to make changes according to your local meta.
