Diving Griffin

Creature — Griffin

Flying, vigilance

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Big Apple Highlander	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (5)

TheVectornaut on Rise of the Griffins

11 months ago

While I like the idea of the current enchantment combo, I don't know that it's really necessary. Privileged Position already protects your stuff without the need to get out 2 cards. Further, turning all of your lands into enchantments opens you up to instantly losing the game to something like Spring Cleaning, although players are more likely to play mass wipes that will also destroy or exile their permanents due to Enchanted Evening's symmetry. Speaking of, you can try to take advanatge of that symmetry in other ways like playing Azorius First-Wing as an unblockable griffin, assuming you don't mind going into blue. Otherwise, I'd still try to upgrade the griffins here to be a little faster and more impactful. Diving Griffin and Resplendent Griffin have the potential to be better than Sunspire Griffin, depending on the final build. Fearless Fledgling and Griffin Rider are both aggressive options to shore up the 2 slot in a way I think would be more impactful than Crashing Drawbridge or the currently underwhelming Pearl Medallion. Finally, Wanted Griffin may be better than Senate Griffin at 4, again depending on what your game plan ends up being. Mutavault and Metallic Mimic are some less budget friendly options that could help the tribe's limited card pool.

As for anthems, I usually prefer the 2 cost options to the 3, although I do like Always Watching. Honor of the Pure is the vanilla option while Rally the Ranks or even Obelisk of Urd could fit in a tribal shell. One thing I thought of while looking at the high number of white pips making the Medallion worse was that you could lean into that and go for a mono-white devotion build. Some anthems like Flowering of the White Tree and Benalish Marshal already fit well in such a deck. You'd definitely want a playset of Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and some sort of payoff for the extra mana like Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Walking Ballista, or whatever other bomb you prefer. You'd also want something to play on 1 for that strategy. War Falcon has some synergy with Griffin Rider, Esper Sentinel is a generically powerful draw engine, and Weathered Wayfarer is a classic way to find Nykthos. War Falcon also brings to mind the idea of leaning more into broad flying support like Sephara, Sky's Blade and Rally of Wings, although I acknowledge going down that path could severely dilute the tribal identity of the deck. One final approach I can think of is pivoting to focus on lifegain to use the Griffin Aerie in your maybeboard. You'd definitely need cheaper ways to gain life than True Conviction, especially since I think it's already one of the weaker cards in the deck. The reality is that you'd probably be nudged towards splitting the griffins with angels to take advanatge of Angelic Accord, Bishop of Wings, Speaker of the Heavens, and even Archangel of Thune. Outside of that, the options are more limited. Maybe mass lifelink could be made cheaper with Metallic Mimic plus Envoy of the Ancestors or Abzan Battle Priest. This is the only route where I actually see Path of Bravery being worth it.

legendofa on Pattern Recognition #299 - White …

2 years ago

Diving Hawk could probably get away with being a 1/2. It's still worse than Battlefield Raptor, but nobody really looks at Aven Skirmisher or Suntail Hawk with awe and wonder.

Distracting Hornstomper is a shade worse than Fiend Binder (power usually counts more than toughness) and a step down from Territorial Hammerskull. Maybe a 2/4?

Clifftop Watcher is probably at a good point right now. Playtesting leads to tweaking, but I think it can stand where it is. There's no great points of comparison, but Diving Griffin or Changeling Sentinel or Dragon Bell Monk are in the ballpark.

Skullshield Guard is raising some flags for me. Repeatable targeted indestructibility doesn't show up at uncommon; you get either single use or affects only itself. This would be uncommon, or maybe even rare. Some soulbond-ish tech might work, but that gets into complexity issues.

I would put a "playtest this" mark next to Flatlands Scout. Double explore is pretty significant potential ramp and draw, and Jadelight Ranger isn't the most reliable precendent for a {W} common.

Bannerless High-Born can fit as {2}{W} to reduce the color weight. Maybe tweak it to 1/3.

Only notes on Sun-Crowned Second Sun are that the name and flavor text are great, but that's a beefy dude at 4/4. I assume he's got a good retinue of followers with him to push his stats up.

To make Light Footfalls a touch more white, the unblockable needs a rider like "can't be blocked by creatures with greater power" and a corresponding drop in activation cost, or maybe just as a static effect.

Summon the Guards might use a little poke. It's a touch underpowered compared to Raise the Alarm, Recruitment Drive, or Master's Call, but it's on par with Hive Stirrings.

As always, it's clear you're putting a lot of good effort into these cards. Thanks for sharing your progress!

metalrayn on Alert Heedbonder PDH

4 years ago

i think you would benefit from Auramancer and Trusty Retriever

i would drop commune with nature and relentless pursuit for Return to Nature

then prob drop fist of iron wood, recruit the worthy and Krosan Tusker to make space for more creatures with vigilance. i think you would be much happier with a higher creature count.

Diving Griffin , Gallant Cavalry , Ikiral Outrider , Parhelion Patrol , Prowling Felidar and Elvish Herder are all cards i would consider

also you might not have enough green creatures for Ivy Lane Denizen.

take this all with a grain of salt. no idea what is correct until you test it.

ClockworkSwordfish on

7 years ago

I'd probably recommend Diving Griffin over Armored Griffin - the extra mana isn't worth it for one more toughness.

Snacrifice on Talons & Gallants

8 years ago

If you like banding, you can run Defensive Formation since it's cheap, is a 1-drop, and gives everything on your side defensive banding. Sejiri Refuge is coastal plains but with a life gain attached. Cooperation gives you banding on an enchantment.

Instead of Griffin Sentinel or Armored Griffin, you could just run the 2/2 Diving Griffin that's a little better costed. Griffin Dreamfinder lets you recur enchantments, albeit sorta slowly.

Tethered Griffin would give you a much shorter mana curve, and Skyblinder Staff is pretty silly too.

I'm surprised not to see Misthollow Griffin since it'd use blue.

I love griffins, always good to see a fun deck built around them.