Hey HK, another solid write up.. I like that you have done the custom categories as an option that can be chosen..

Like before when you get time a mulligan section even just a brief one would probably add some value for new players.

@ SynergyBuild Is it really worth running Fragmentize? Most of us in my meta don't even attempt to play out our combo pieces until we are for sure have protection back up or is going to go off that turn, hence why I value Instant speed reaction over sorcery based one currently. Currently I would add in Assassin's Trophy in lieu of Fiend Hunter if I don't get enough utility spells, now if Fragmentize is instant speed it would definitely be auto include.

@ caantpayrent Hey buddy thanks for checking out again, definitely good idea to add in a mulligan section as although it isn't complex aggressive mulligans happen quite a lot when Teneb isn't happy with you. I'll add that in!

Anything else you think I should add in the primer?

It is a very meta-dependent card, if you don't think it will do well, don't run it.

I don't know your meta, I don't run it in my meta, but have heard of it well, and have tested it out.

Mmm I see, yeah I'll keep it in mind. Currently my meta doesn't drop their combo pieces until the turn they are going to win so but I can get why you would so thanks for that tech card!~

Deadpoo111

Thanks for checking out the primer! Ad Nauseam resolves for me about 70% of the time and usually wins me the game about 80% of the time, I usually cast it either super early or when everyone wastes there ammunition. It's a hell of a card :P

What does academy rector get after saccing it for the combo?

@hkhssweiss

Sorry for getting back to you so slow.

Nice job here, this looks like a fantastic list. I like your primer it is simple and easy to understand:)

@Legion564

Sorry for the late reply, was at my LGS the whole day :P

Academy Rector is there for the Animate Dead, Dance of the Dead, or Necromancy as another type of line for protection with Grand Abolisher when pulled with Protean Hulk.

If not used for that line, it's used to grab Pattern of Rebirth and go straight into Protean Hulk with a sac outlet. Hope that answers your question!

@FLATSO99 Thanks for checking out the list, any notes of improvement I should add to the primer? Or that's good enough? :P

One small question, why not use a Tymna or Ravos pairing with any green partner, the obvious one being thrasios. It simply seems better than Teneb. You have piloted this build a lot more than I have though, so I could easily be wrong.

SynergyBuild

Main reason why is because this is my second EDH deck back when I first started EDH, so it has a lot of memories and my goal was to originally build all 10 Invasion/Planar Chaos dragon and refine them to optimized and tuned deck. After building and finishing the 10 dragons, I kinda moved them to better commanders, this is one of the few dragons that stayed.

Legitimate reason why Teneb can be played at a competitive level in my meta is due to Birthing Pod, he goes straight into Hulk and can win from there. I used to run Eldritch Evolution too so that also led to another Hulk win. Also against Blood Pod decks, they really can't stand to deal with a 6/6 flyer funnily enough, and having a combat trick with Entomb in response to Teneb trigger led to some interesting plays.

The last reason is because I do dislike using popular commanders that my meta uses often and I don't like using decks that other people my meta have currently. We have three Tymna/Thrasios Hulk players and two Tymna/Thrasios Paradox players as well. It gets kinda stagnant especially since you can read what most hulk players will do. Hope that answers your question buddy!

I guess... why not Ravos, Soultender? Ravos probably isn't part of your meta, with Sidar or any green partner it could work, and it recurs creatures from the yard very efficiently, while being a good card against blood pod, and having good synergy with pod, albeit different synergy.

Instead of Sidar you could go Reyhan, Last of the Abzan and have a pod line with Felidar Guardian into Karmic Guide into recur the cat into some Boonweaver Giant combo or something, IDK, it can even just pod into Academy Rector for a win.

Well the actual point for me is that I just want to make the best Teneb deck and refine him to the highest point. My actual cEDH deck is my Kess deck, I don't like Ravos due to my meta being extremely in graveyard hate. Our grave yard doesn't survive more than 2 turns at most if there is something important dropped in there. Not to mention our meta is also tech fairly well in Faerie Macabre.

Reyhan into pod can go to Academy Rector yes, but that requires a constant sac outlet, if I don't I need to sac two times. Whereas if I pod Teneb into Hulk I can use hulk to grab a sac outlet and requires me only to sac one time before I can go infinite.

Currently also in my meta, my Teneb is notorious. My match ups with this current build has won me 7/10 games every time I play him and I'm very proud of how Teneb formed and came to this point, hence why I decided to foil him out.

wait if you pod into hulk... you still need to sacrifice the hulk, also, good job, this is easily the best teneb deck I have ever seen.

Mhm that's correct, hence why I run a lot of cards like Phyrexian Tower, High Market, Culling the Weak (I been winning a lot of games with this, since I added it in and easily became part of my core build for any reanimator decks), and Cabal Therapy.

If I went with the Reyhan pod line, I would have to use Academy Rector, sac it to grab Pattern of Rebirth than sac it once more time with an additional creature on the board due to Pattern needing to target a creature, than I would have to sac it one more time which isn't efficient. Also if I were to change the deck to a different line to include Felidar Guardian I would be running a different package. It doesn't seem too great with my current meta as there is plenty of interaction, removal, and grave hate.

Thank you very much, I appreciate the compliment! This deck was built over four years ago and went through sooo many changes and testing to the current form it has today. Only recently this past year and a half I made the changes to go into cEDH and never regret anything! ^^

I fully respect that, I might try to build a version of Abzan Reanimator that can compete, wanting to return the Karador Boonweaver lists from before Hulk, but am a fan of this deck too. Just a difference of playstyle.

Good luck to you, friend!

I really like Boonweaver Giant, that was my main combo before Hulk was unbanned and it is great! It's not as easily protected as they can target Boonweaver before Pattern of Rebirth enchants a creature which was the main issue before.

Great job on your Aminatou Stax that you developed! Definitely a fan of it!

Keep on deck building and looking forward to see what you do! Feel free to ask me on anything as well, I like hearing new perspectives!~

Yeah, that deck is a blast to pilot, it is less of a deck that always wins and more of a deck that never loses if you get what I am saying. I mean, I get those turn 2 wins with god hands and all, but overall it isn't like that. BTW is this deck fully developed by you? Was is based off of something or did you have help?

Yep this deck and my other deck, Intet was fully developed by me. Those are my proudest deck because I haven't really seen anyone else built decks like it before. It took a lot of play testing to get it where their both at. I know both of those decks inside and out, the help I did have was from my playgroup when it came to terms of meta call. I did a lot of research on scryfall as well and looked through all the cards in Abzan color to see what was the most efficient cards I can find, than all of you guys who on T/O to make the final tweaks. I forgot who it was that recommended me Culling the Weak but that card has been absolute fire in all of my games.

Ah I found who it was that recommended me Culling the Weak, it was Matrixxx999, definitely appreciate what they suggested.

Always glad to help, man!

Actually, I have another suggestion based on your comment earlier about Birthing Pod... You said you used this card to win right after it hits the table by sacrificing specific creatures, so have you ever tried in your tests Eldritch Evolution? I think it does the same and can be even more useful and faster then BP, or you can use it along with BP.

Matrixxx999

I used to run Eldritch Evolution, but after several test runs with it, it was deemed too slow for me. The only actual win con is with Teneb, my 1 CMC to 3 CMC was mostly to grab Grand Abolisher, or Renegade Rallier to ramp more. Very rarely do I get my 2 CMC to Academy Rector. It was cut out and I haven't missed it since, although I do like it a lot.

I would drop Hope of Ghirapur (because its very slow, despite being powerful) in order to include the Leonin Relic Warder that you said you couldn't fit.

It's very desirable to include him because he a piece of removal when not being a combo piece.

It's also probably not what you want to hear, but a Thrassios Tymna version of your deck would be much much better, Tymna itself is strong as fk, but if that's not enough you would gain access to Flash .

You might wanna check Razakats by ShaperSavant, is one the best cEDH decks there is, and it works lines close to yours.

25 creatures is enough to run Gaea's Cradle , great that you already uses Crop Rotation to fetch it when it will be relevant.

Thank you for your perspective VelvetVendetta!

I would agree in dropping Hope of Ghirapur , it was added in as a flex spot but as of lately I feel like it hasn't been worth it and under performing. I'm actually tempted to use Blood Pet instead over it.

I agree the direct upgrade to this deck would be the Tymna/Thrasios variants, however my meta is full of them and personally I do dislike being apart of the norm and use more unique commanders, goal is to refine Teneb to the utmost he can do with his innate limitations.

Hmm Cradle is something I have thought about, will try it out next time I see one open to trade. Definitely appreciate your thoughts!

I love Teneb, he's one of my favorite cards. Deck looks very good, and the primer is very good as well.

I want to build a Teneb deck one day in paper. Maybe once I finish inventorying all my cards you could help :P