I decided that I wanted to take my deck The Forest Calls and try splashing black to add some card removal and to give the deck a different look that I think could be powerful in standard. While red is the more aligned with green devotion and has the better mana base, I believe that the removal is considerably better with black and that
Reaper of the Wilds
is powerful enough to make it work out.
The Mana Dorks
Voyaging Satyr- Works well with our tapped lands and can get rediculous when paired with Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. This guy can also live through a Golgari Charm wipe when it is needed.
Sylvan Caryatid- Hexproof mana acceleration for whatever color we need. Sounds good to me.
The Tanks
Courser of Kruphix- Love this card. Seriously. Let's me eat through any pockets of land that show up in the deck, gives me life for doing so, has a butt big enough to laugh at Bile Blight, AND gives me two devotion. Let's go with a playset.
Arbor Colossus
- A big body with reach that can stop Desecration Demon, Nightveil Specter, and the Blood Baron of Vizkopa. Also manages to survive fights with most gods before needing to monsterize him.
Polukranos, World Eater- 5/5 for 4 that can be used as a board wipe to get rid of any pests that need taken care of? Sure, why not?
Nylea, God of the Hunt- Gives everything trample and is a nice place to dump all of our mana when we don't have anything else we want to do with it. Indestructible 6/6 once we get enough devotion to get her going.
Reaper of the Wilds
- The scry ability she provides whenever we kill something is extremely likable and it helps that she can give herself hexproof and deathtouch when needed to finish killing something off or to protected her from our opponents targeted removal. This card is a freaking tank.
Our Removal
Abrupt Decay- Does work against a wide variety of deck, including devotion and aggro. The fact that it's uncounterable is just icing on the cake.
Golgari Charm- Not only does this wipe out all one toughness creatures (including early Pack Rat) but it can let me regenerate through board wipe and get rid of any Detention Spheres and its ilk. I can stand for a couple of these in here.
Devour Flesh- What were you saying about all of my possible removal missing Blood Baron of Vizkopa?
Others
Duress- For the control match-up to hopefully find a Thoughtseize before they pick apart our hands. While not as good as Thoughtseize, I don't want to dump that much money into getting them. Will probably work for trading for them if I can find anyone willing to trade away.
Read the Bones- Sure, we will take some card advantage and draw power to refill our hands. The reason I'm going with this over Underworld Connections is because Connections costs 1BB instead of RtB's 2B, which is easier to come up with in a green focused deck.
The Sideboard
Hero's Downfall- Sometimes a Plainswalker just has to go when it's time to go.
Mistcutter Hydra- Protection from blue and haste? Ya, it might do some work in a mono-blue or Azorius match-up.
Skylasher- A nice early answer that throws a wrench at MUD and B/x control.
Unravel the Aether- Instant speed God removal is very acceptable.
Pithing Needle- I am so, sooo sorry that you can't use that Plainswalker/ Pack Rat/ Mutavault. It just breaks my heart.
Suggestions?
