Dueling Infect Strategies (Mono-Green)

Modern Deck Help forum

Posted on Oct. 4, 2017, 9:43 a.m. by StoryArcher

Good morning all.

I enjoy making mono-green versions of lots of different kinds of decks and lately Infect has caught my attention. The core of the deck is pretty standard, but I'm torn regarding the inclusion of a handful of cards and the necessary changes to synergize well with them. Since I've played very little infect - with or against - I'm hoping that some on here can offer a better perspective.

Core of the Deck:

There are other key buffs, obviously, but which ones and how many are dictated by the cards I'm trying decide on. The first of these is Infiltration Lens. Its incredibly cheap and offers tremendous card-drawn, especially considering that the draws happen when a creature is blocked but before damage is assigned - considering how many instants this deck runs that's a real boon. It also has nice synergy with Ichorclaw Myr .

The way I'm planning on filling out the rest of the deck if I decide to include Infiltration Lens is below:

I'm also sorely tempted to include one or two Wild Defiance in this version of the deck, which can be seen here: The Green Sting.

On the other hand, there are two cards which seem potentially devastating with an Infect strategy, but don't interact so well with some of the usual deck staples. The first is Canopy Cover, which offers hexproof AND evasion for a fairly inexpensive price. The other is Livewire Lash, a fantastic piece of equipment that gives you an additional way to get your poison counters through, effectively turning all of your buffs into 'Poison Shocks' as well. The only drawback it has is that its just a tad slow for speed one normally expects out of an Infect deck, but these two cards definitely make the deck more powerful and more sustainable should you get into the mid-game. In this case I would add something like this:

This version of the deck can be seen here: The Green Sting II

I'm really torn between these approaches, between the outright speed of the first option and the inevitability of the second or some hybrid version where I ditch the equipment completely and tweaks the buffs around Canopy Cover. Whichever way I go, the card balance will be key. Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Lame_Duck says... #2

I would recommend against using Infiltration Lens. It's a card that'll never do quite what you want; you draw cards when you need to be pushing through damage and it makes your creature unblockable when you need to draw cards.

October 4, 2017 9:54 a.m.

I don't see any Become Immense here, is it normal? It works wonderfully with fetches, but is still decent without them!

October 4, 2017 10:02 a.m.

StoryArcher says... #4

Lame_Duck,

I'll admit that it has felt... awkward... at times during my initial playtesting of it. Sometimes it works like a dream, but when it does I can't help but wonder if I would have won just as quickly without it. I'd never use it in a regular aggro deck of course, but with the pressure of Infect it just seems better suited - in theory, at least.

FWIW, I've put together the equipment-less version of the deck that I was considering as well: The Green Sting III. Bouncing back and forth between including the two Life's Legacy, a couple of Wild Defiance or going back to a pair of Livewire Lash.

October 4, 2017 10:05 a.m.

StoryArcher says... #5

WizardOfTheNorthernCoast,

I know that that's a staple of the traditional U/G Infect deck, along with Baubles or Probes to feed Delve, but I've found that it isn't necessary and in some cases can actually slow me down a bit. I'd say my Infect strategies generally get their win condition by turn 4 about 90-95% of the time.

October 4, 2017 10:08 a.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #6

I build the deck like this.


8 Dead, 9 If U Count the Fetus :)

Modern APPLE01DOJ

SCORE: 21 | 77 COMMENTS | 7140 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS


Whatever you do, don't run Cathedral of War. Infect hates colorless lands not named Inkmoth Nexus but a tapped colorless land is the worst.

October 5, 2017 12:11 a.m.

StoryArcher says... #7

APPLE01DOJ,

I know that Inkmoth Nexus is a very popular option - even for decks that aren't primarily Infect - but in my play I've found that tying up 2 lands every time I want to make an attack with an Infect creature actually slows me down a bit. Generally speaking, I'd rather pay the two mana once and have the creature on the board - plus, its nice not to have to shell out all that coin.

On the flip side, my version of the deck has a few more opportunities to use colorless mana which ultimately allows Cathedral of War to be a free buff. It might come in tapped, but its effect is immediate, and between it and Noble Hierarch, all those +1/+1's really start to add up.

October 5, 2017 9:35 a.m.

StoryArcher says... #8

APPLE01DOJ,

What do you think about Livewire Lash in an Infect deck?

October 5, 2017 10:05 a.m.

TheVectornaut says... #9

I second swapping Cathedral of War for Inkmoth Nexus. I prefer to think of Nexus as a creature, one that is often more useful than Blight Mamba or Necropede. It just happens to have the added flexibility of being a land that doesn't enter tapped. If you can afford to play a land tapped, you're not playing the fastest version of infect, and if you're not playing the fastest version, there isn't really a reason to play infect at all. (Nexus is $20 while Cathedral is $1 for a reason.) By this same logic, I wouldn't run any equipment. The 2 mana you spend casting and equipping Infiltration Lens could be spent casting 2 buffs to win the game immediately. And if you spent 4 mana to give Livewire Lash to a Glistener Elf only to have it Path to Exiled, you'd really wish the Lash was just an Apostle's Blessing or Vines of Vastwood instead. Finally, I think Groundswell is still underrated for infect. Whether it's a good replacement for Phytoburst may depend on how ready you are to gamble for high risk and high reward.

October 5, 2017 10:41 a.m.

StoryArcher says... #10

TheVectornaut,

I'll definitely consider that input, thanks.

What do you think about Canopy Cover? It seems ideally suited to the deck to me, offering both evasion and hexproof - possibly as a replacement for Vines of Vastwood.

October 5, 2017 2:18 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #11

I really don't think Livewire Lash Canopy Cover or the lens have any place in Infect. They're too slow and water down the game plan. Mono Green Infect is a glass cannon deck that really wants to win on turns 2 or 3. The longer the duration of the game, the more likely you are to lose.

Inkmoth Nexus is pretty much the best creature in the deck. Flying is huge. Very few aggro creatures can block it and it has some natural removal resistance.

If you want inevibility and a more resilient game plan you're better off playing U/G Infect.

October 5, 2017 3:41 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #12

I really don't think Livewire Lash Canopy Cover or the lens have any place in Infect. They're too slow and water down the game plan. Mono Green Infect is a glass cannon deck that really wants to win on turns 2 or 3. The longer the duration of the game, the more likely you are to lose.

Inkmoth Nexus is pretty much the best creature in the deck. Flying is huge. Very few aggro creatures can block it and it has some natural removal resistance.

If you want inevibility and a more resilient game plan you're better off playing U/G Infect.

October 5, 2017 3:43 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #13

I really don't think Livewire Lash Canopy Cover or the lens have any place in Infect. They're too slow and water down the game plan. Mono Green Infect is a glass cannon deck that really wants to win on turns 2 or 3. The longer the duration of the game, the more likely you are to lose.

Inkmoth Nexus is pretty much the best creature in the deck. Flying is huge. Very few aggro creatures can block it and it has some natural removal resistance.

If you want inevibility and a more resilient game plan you're better off playing U/G Infect.

October 5, 2017 3:48 p.m.

TheVectornaut says... #14

Canopy Cover is better than the equipment, but it still does have the same pitfall. 2 mana is often going to be too much to pay for something that doesn't offer any power boosts to one of your creatures. Apostle's Blessing can typically accomplish the same goal (and sometimes more) for half the mana. If you really feel evasion is key to victory in your meta, Blighted Agent and Distortion Strike will probably prove more useful.

October 5, 2017 7:49 p.m.

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