Improving my ramp
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Jan. 20, 2015, 2:48 p.m. by Indigoindigo
Going through my Big Box Of Random Cards I found several decent rampspells that might be good in my Roon of the Hidden Realm-deck. I'd like some opinions on the best spells for the job, limiting it to the best ~14-17 cards I should run. My mana base is budget, with 3x shocks, checks, pains and scry + Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds and Krosan Grip. Sorted by CMC and type, my favorites highlighed.
1 CMC
Arbor Elf
Burgeoning
Carpet of Flowers
Sol Ring
2 CMC
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Knight of the White Orchid
Coiling Oracle
Nature's Lore
Farseek
Rampant Growth
Khalni Heart Expedition
3 CMC
Wood Elves
Farhaven Elf
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Yavimaya Elder
Chromatic Lantern
4 CMC
Solemn Simulacrum
Skyshroud Claim
Explosive Vegetation
5 CMC
Prophet of Kruphix
Seedborn Muse
Karametra, God of Harvests
As mentioned, I'd like some opinions on the best spells for the job, limiting it to the best ~14-17 cards I should run. General ramp discussion about the best cards for the CMC also welcome, although I'm not able to acquire many new cards at the moment. Several of my favorites is inspired by the ramp section from
Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition Playtest
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 415 | 102 COMMENTS | 119906 VIEWS.
ThisIsBullshit says... #3
Oracle hits everything.....and Farseek doesn't get fetches.
January 20, 2015 3:05 p.m.
fadelightningmm says... #4
Sorry I mean shocks lol all the recent talk of fetches scrambled my thoughts
January 20, 2015 3:07 p.m.
Indigoindigo says... #5
Coiling Oracle is a Roon-target as well. I'm a bit on the fence about how powerful synergy with Roon is. An example is Farhaven Elf: 2G for a land tapped and a 1/1 is underwhelming, but it is a target for blinking, Skullclamp and a possible chump blocker. In the end I think 4G for 2 lands tapped and only a 1/1 body is too big of a downside.
January 20, 2015 3:26 p.m.
I would sideboard away Carpet of Flowers because you may not always be playing a deck with blue in it.
January 20, 2015 5:51 p.m.
Indigoindigo says... #8
dbpunk: I think you're right. I think I've decided what I want to try out:
Arbor Elf (sideboard for Carpet of Flowers in games against blue decks)
Burgeoning
Sol Ring
Coiling Oracle
Nature's Lore
Khalni Heart Expedition
Wood Elves
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Solemn Simulacrum
Skyshroud Claim
Explosive Vegetation
Prophet of Kruphix
Seedborn Muse
This gives me at least 3 ramp-spells at each mana-cost from 1-5. I'm still on the fence about Khalni Heart Expedition as it doesn't give me an immediate effect and Explosive Vegetation as the lands come in tapped.
January 22, 2015 1:09 a.m.
Explosive Vegetation isn't as good because of the high mana cost (it's high compared to a lot of ramp spells) and Khalni Heart Expedition isn't as good cause of the lack of immediate effect and the fact that you may get the land you need by the time it works. Have you considered Land Grant or Far Wanderings? The last one is iffy since it's really only works to it's full extent of you have stuff in your graveyard already.
January 22, 2015 2:48 p.m.
Indigoindigo says... #10
Haven't considered either of them since - as I said in the original post - I'm not able to acquire many new cards at the moment. Any cards from my list you'd rather played in place of Explosive Vegetation and Khalni Heart Expedition?
January 22, 2015 3:42 p.m.
Well Farseek is always a good play since it gives you pretty much any option you might need at 2 mana. Although Rampant Growth would be easier to use since it can also help you get a Forest if you need it. And something tells me a chromatic lantern would be a far better play, since it can give your lands a lot more usage than their normal colors would.
January 22, 2015 4:19 p.m.
4CMC Ranger's Path, Oracle of Mul Daya
3 CMC Primal Growth, Darksteel Ingot, Trinket Mage, Burnished Hart, Azusa, Lost but Seeking
2 CMC Grim Monolith, Lotus Cobra, Azorius Signet, Simic Signet, Mind Stone, Copy Artifact, Selesnya Signet
1CMC Search for Tomorrow, Green Sun's Zenith+Dryad Arbor, Birds of Paradise Wayfarer's Bauble, Tithe
0 CMC Ancient Tomb
January 23, 2015 1:35 a.m.
Trying to add things others haven't already mentioned.
Expedition Map
Reap and Sow
Somberwald Sage
Sylvan Caryatid
Not ramp but fixing: Joiner Adept
January 23, 2015 2:07 a.m.
Expedition Map isn't ramp either. Fixing yesish. More like fetch. IDK not ramp though.
January 23, 2015 3:07 a.m.
Some of my favorites in green that no one's mentioned:
5CMC Nissa's Expedition (if you have tokens)
4CMC Garruk Wildspeaker (duh), Mwonvuli Acid-Moss (blow up land, recieve Forest), and Hunting Wilds (It's like Explosive Vegetation, only exactly the same!)
3CMC Harrow (essentially a Nature's Lore that hits all land types and triggers landfall twice for a net loss of 1 mana.) Krosan Tusker (Not really ramp, but it is card advantage.)
Recross the Paths This is my all time favorite ramp spell. Yes, it's a bit random, but you can hit non-basics and the land comes into play untapped (hopefully), which means that it's only a net loss of 2 mana. The trick to it is to run it with big cmc's (duh), and aggressively clash with the player who looks mana screwed. I once resolved this spell over ten times between turns 4 and 5 because one of my friends really didn't want to ship his mountain.
Honorable mentions: Rampant Growth, and Edge of Autumn.
fadelightningmm says... #2
For your 2cmc I would do Farseek over Coiling Oracle. Oracle is good but farseek hits fetches.
Also Chromatic Lantern is fantastic for stabilizing mana. If you have one white source and it gets blown up you're still okay. I would strongly recommend the lantern
January 20, 2015 2:57 p.m.