Ghoultree

Creature — Zombie Treefolk

Ghoultree costs {{1}} less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.

Discussion (51)

wallisface on

5 months ago

Some thoughts:

• Modern is a pretty fast format. Most decks without ramp find it hard to justify running more than 3-4 cards at cmc4, and often run nothing higher. I think you should consider ditching those high-cmc cards you have costing 5 or more mana.

• You should also aim to always stick to a 60 card deck, and try not going over that number. You're currently running 75 cards, which is a decent amount over. What this means is that you'll just end up with overall worse draws and weaker hands - by removing your 15 weakest cards, it means you can't draw them, and so will be reliably drawing from your 60 best.

• Continuing on the line of consistency/hand-strength, you have faaar too many 1-ofs and 2-ofs in the deck, which is going to make your hands and draws super inconsistent. I’d suggest getting playsets of all the important pieces you want to see in most games.

• One thing to know also is that your deck is currently not legal! You cannot have more than 4 copies of any non-basic land in the deck, you're currently running 25 Scoured Barrens, which isn't allowed. That particular land is pretty bad anyway (lands entering tapped aren't great), so I'd suggest just running basic plain and Swamp in-place of it.

• I'm not sure how you plan to actually cast Ghoultree. The cost-reducer effect it has only reduces the amount of non-coloured mana you need to pay, which means even at best case scenario, you'd still need to pay the , which you appear to have no way to generate.

McFerrin on Sidisi Synergy Tyrant

9 months ago

I feel like that depends a lot on your meta. Based on my experience, big beaters with no abilities tend to underperform, so maybe cut Ghoultree? I don't know; your mileage may vary.

TheVectornaut on Death Touch Green Boi

1 year ago

I'll just go through the mainboard cards I would personally cut first. Ancient Ooze : very big but requires trample or the like to actually do anything at 7 mana. Copper Myr : almost objectively worse here than most green mana dorks. Ezuri's Archers : not impactful enough in the main without a devotion or elf theme. Ghoultree : your creatures are too big to be dying that often and you want them alive anyway. Lumberknot : similar story to Ghoultree. Spawnwrithe : needs to be built around. Wall of Tanglecord : wastes the benefits of any Overrun effects. Predator's Rapport : more of a sideboard card unless burn is really popular. Reclaim : very slow and lacking enough good targets. Serpent's Gift : redundant and inefficient if you just run enough deathtouch creatures. Tower Defense : are there really enough flyers going around to have this in the main? Windstorm : see above. Spider Spawning : if this is what you're running Transguild Promenade for, it's not worth it without more GY synergy. Accorder's Shield : vigilance isn't impactful enough with no exert, tap abilities, or much else to abuse it. Brawler's Plate : very costly for the buff. Golden Urn : much worse than even the Rapport. Staff of the Wild Magus : staffs aren't even strong enough to do well in dedicated lifegain decks, unfortunately.

I'd say all of your maybeboard picks are better than the aforementioned cards. I'll list some other alternatives that come to my mind though. Primordial Hydra and Kalonian Hydra are some budget-unfriendly but highly dangerous beaters that you can get out relatively early. Joraga Treespeaker (or maybe Elvish Archdruid ) would make your archers much better by letting them double as mana dorks. Otherwise, I like Arbor Elf with Utopia Sprawl type auras on your forests to help ramp. If you prefer the vigilance idea, Champion of Rhonas is a budget Elvish Piper that likes not tapping in combat. If you like walls, Overgrown Battlement and Axebane Guardian can get ridiculous mana going. They also benefit from Assault Formation which synergizes with Tower Defense. In terms of small creatures with reach, Traproot Kami is my clear pick for mono-green, especially in multiplayer. If you need to add trample, Rancor is excellent value. If you need recursion, Eternal Witness should be near the top of the list. If you're struggling with flyers, maybe try Gravity Well . If you need more life, Engulfing Slagwurm likes forced blocks while Verdant Sun's Avatar likes playing beefy guys.

Given what you have already, I think shifting to include more deathtouch creatures and Lure s would be the most optimal plan. Viridian Longbow and Thornbite Staff are some other equipment that benefit from that strategy. For the creatures, Ohran Frostfang is a casual-only option that's completely busted in commander, and I'm always a sucker for Wasteland Viper 's versatility at only 1 mana.

legendofa on Looking for (virtual-/) 1-drops w/ …

1 year ago

You're probably going to find more reduced-cost creatures, then, and you got a lot of the best ones. How about Ghoultree , Ancient Stone Idol , Tazri, Beacon of Unity , Marshmist Titan , or Khalni Hydra ? (I'd like to see the deck that runs both of the last two.)

TheVectornaut on Blue-Black Deck

1 year ago

I'd start by identifying what you want the main goal of your deck to be. I see two main ideas here that could be built around.

The first is dealing unblocked damage by disincentivizing blocks with deathtouch. Darkblade Agent , Eternal of Harsh Truths , Graveblade Marauder , and maybe Blightsteel Colossus (with enough reanimation) fit this archetype. Because of the two "blade" cards, there is some overlap with the second archetype which I'll cover next (and if you keep them, cards like Notion Rain , Mission Briefing , Thought Erasure , and Discovery / Dispersal are likely to get more mileage than Divination or Secrets of the Golden City ), but there may be even better ways to profit from unblocked creatures. Curiosity enchantments like Curious Obsession , Sixth Sense , and Keen Sense are frequent accompaniments to the Invisible Stalker s and other bogles of the world, and Bident of Thassa is a strong option for those going wide. I like Quietus Spike as a sort of midway point between Basilisk Collar and Master of Cruelties in decks like these too. Other beaters to get in with could be Tomebound Lich , Oona's Blackguard , Dimir Cutpurse , Looter il-Kor , Shadowmage Infiltrator , Surrakar Spellblade , Wharf Infiltrator , or Virtus the Veiled if he's legal in whatever format this is for. More generic deathtouch synergy could include Hooded Blightfang , Viridian Longbow , Thornbite Staff , Psionic Gift enchantments, and any source of first strike. Finally, I like Cipher as a way to gain advantage from repeated attacks, so maybe a Hidden Strings or Paranoid Delusions could come in handy.

The second main idea is to stack the graveyard(s) with as many creatures as possible to extract value from Undergrowth and similar mechanics. Avatar of Woe , Lotleth Giant , Trepanation Blade , Teferi's Tutelage , and some of your Disentomb effects fit here. Major threats in these kinds of decks include Wight of Precinct Six , Jace's Phantasm , Consuming Aberration , Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker , Fleet Swallower , Nemesis of Reason , Bonehoard , Mortivore , and Nighthowler . If you want to focus on your own graveyard, green is a great color to dip into as I alluded to earlier. Ghoultree , Boneyard Wurm , Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord , Splinterfright , Nyx Weaver , Nemesis of Mortals , Spider Spawning , and Kessig Cagebreakers are just some of the tools you get access to. Golgari is also the king of Undergrowth, so Hatchery Spider , Izoni, Thousand-Eyed , Molderhulk , Rhizome Lurcher / Undergrowth Scavenger , Kraul Harpooner , and Necrotic Wound are on the table. If milling your opponents is more your thing, some staples to consider are Thought Scour , Sphinx's Tutelage , Drown in the Loch , Traumatize , Fraying Sanity , and the crab duo. Jace's Erasure , Psychic Corrosion , and the Tutelage pair benefit the most from other draw synergy, and Visions of Beyond is an obvious inclusion if that's the route you take. Either way, I'd cut down to only the most efficient of your reanimate to hand cards and the like since you don't want to be stuck with a fist full of them and no creatures in the graveyard to target. Speaking of cuts, for maximum power, it's usually correct to play as close to the 60 card minimum as possible. Picking a single strategy to hone in on should make it easier to whittle down to the most important 60 in the deck.

If you have questions, let me know. Good luck with your build!

zamiero on Vial and Ghost!

1 year ago

3> Ahhh I've been wanting to play with Obosh, the Preypiercer and Angrath's Marauders - glad you found a spot for them. While you're at it, you could also consider other "damage doublers" such as Wound Reflection and Fiendish Duo. I've thought about a Vial-Smasher deck with a White partner just to add Gisela, Blade of Goldnight.

3> I see you enjoy big monsters and X-spells here. Oh to be young again... but seriously, this seems like a good deck to play them in as you would be rewarded. Instants are your friend, as you can Smash Vials on everyone's turn! No Comet Storm?

3> I would be worried about Vial-Smasher getting nuked from orbit as soon as your turn passes and it's no longer indestructible. You'll find Heroic Intervention and Slippery Bogbonder will help with targeted Exile removal. You already have Destroy and Sacrifice covered I see.

3> I see some cost-reduced and commander-free spells in there, but you have a limited suite. While doing research for my thoughts on Vial-Smasher, I found the following might be helpful - list is just copy/paste, so it will include some White and/or Blue cards:

• 3- Offalsnout (evoke B)
• 3- Rushwood Legate (opponent control island)
• 4- Skyshroud Cutter (control forest, opponents gain life)
• 4- Frogmite (artifacts battlefield)
• 4- Bone Picker (creature dies)
• 4- Briarhorn (evoke 1G)
• 4- Deepwood Legate (opponent control forest)
• 5- Stormwing Entity (cast instant/sorcery)
• 5- Ingot Chewer (evoke R)
• 5- Shriekmaw (evoke 1B)
• 5- Glarewielder (evoke 1R)
• 5- Mulldrifter (evoke 2U)
• 6- Igneous Elemental (land graveyard)
• 6- Nemesis of Mortals (greatures graveyard)
• 6- AEthersnipe (evoke 1UU)
• 6- Spitebellows (evoke 1RR)
• 6- Cloudthresher (evoke 2GG)
• 6- Hooting Mandrills (cards graveyard)
• 6- Ethereal Forager (cards graveyard)
• 6- Soulflayer (cards graveyard)
• 6- Sultai Scavenger (cards graveyard)
• 6- Tasigur, the Golden Fang (cards graveyard)
• 6- Salvage Titan (sacrifice three artifacts)
• 6- Sawtusk Demolisher (creature battlefield)
• 6- Shatterskull Minotaur (party)
• 6- Somber Hoverguard (artifacts battlefield)
• 6- Veteran Adventurer (party)
• 7- Gurmag Angler (cards graveyard)
• 7- Ore-Scale Guardian (lands graveyard)
• 7- Myr Enforcer (artifacts battlefield)
• 7- Cryptic Serpent (instant/sorcery graveyard)
• 7- Gearseeker Serpent (artifacts battlefield)
• 7- Quicksilver Behemoth (artifacts battlefield)
• 7- Dargo, the Shipwrecker (sacrifice artifacts/creatures)
• 7- Mournwhelk (evoke 3B)
• 7- Faultgrinder (evoke 4R)
• 8- Ghoultree (creatures graveyard)
• 8- Avatar of Woe (creatures graveyard)
• 8- Walker of the Grove (evoke 4G)
• 8- Shambling Attendants (cards graveyard)
• 8- Bedlam Reveler (instant/sorcery graveyard)
• 8- Qumulox (artifacts battlefield)
• 9- Molderhulk (creature graveyard)
• 9- Sibsig Muckdraggers (cards graveyard)
• 9- Necropolis Fiend (cards graveyard)
• 10+ Stratadon (basic land types)
• 10+ Primeval Protector (creatures battlefield)
• 10+ Ghalta, Primal Hunger (power of creatures battlefield)
• 10+ Draco (basic land types)
• 10+ The Great Henge (power of creatures battlefield)
• 10+ The Cauldron of Eternity (creatures graveyard)

3> I see some cost-reduced and commander-free spells in there, but you have a limited suite. While doing research for my thoughts on Vial-Smasher, I found the following might be helpful - list is just copy/paste, so it will include some White and/or Blue cards:

• 3- Light Up the Stage (opponent damage)
• 4- Reverent Silence (control forest, opponents gain life)
• 4- Snuff Out (control swamp, pay life)
• 4- Ensnare (return two islands)
• 4- Flameshot (discard mountain)
• 4- Outbreak (discard swamp)
• 4- Snag (discard forest)
• 4- Unmask (black card hand)
• 4- Ravenous Trap (opponent 3 cards enter graveyard)
• 4- Lethargy Trap (three creatures attacking)
• 4- Bolt Bend (4-power creature battlefield)
• 4- Massacre (opponent control plains)
• 4- Refreshing Rain (opponent control swamp)
• 4- Ricochet Trap (opponent cast blue)
• 4- Tentative Connection (menace creature battlefield)
• 4- Drag to the Underworld (devotion to black)
• 4- Snag (discard forest)
• 4- Hagra Mauling  ^Flip (opponent has no basic lands)
• 4- Price of Fame (targets legend)
• 5- Bounty of the Hunt (green card hand)
• 5- Contagion (black card hand)
• 5- Force of Will (blue card hand)
• 5- Cave-In (red card hand)
• 5- Submerge (opponent control forest)
• 5- Gush (return two islands)
• 5- Misdirection (blue card hand)
• 5- Dark Triumph (sacrifice creature)
• 5- Thoughtcast (artifacts battlefield)
• 5- Murderous Cut (cards graveyard)
• 5- Rite of Undoing (cards graveyard)
• 5- Coveted Prize (party)
• 5- Deadly Alliance (party)
• 5- Baral's Expertise (cast CMC 4 or less)
• 6- Pyrokinesis (red card hand)
• 6- Fireblast (sacrifice two mountains)
• 6- Pulverize (sacrifice two mountains)
• 6- Into Thin Air (artifacts battlefield)
• 6- Tasigur's Cruelty (cards graveyard)
• 6- Spinning Darkness (black cards graveyard)
• 6- Become Immense (cards graveyard)
• 6- Set Adrift (cards graveyard)
• 6- Will of the Naga (cards graveyard)
• 6- Runeflare Trap (opponent drew 3 cards)
• 6- Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp (artifact battlefield)
• 6- Magmatic Sinkhole (cards graveyard)
• 6- Thwart the Grave (party)
• 6- Curtains' Call (per opponent)
• 6- Cobra Trap (noncreature destroyed by opponent)
• 6- Rishkar's Expertise (cast CMC 5 or less)
• 7- Divergent Transformations (per opponent)
• 7- Into the Story (opponent 7+ cards graveyard)
• 7- Assert Authority (artifacts battlefield)
• 7- Seeds of Renewal (per opponent)
• 7- Needlebite Trap (opponent gain life)
• 8- Treasure Cruise (cards graveyard)
• 9- Blasphemous Act (creatures battlefield)
• 10+ Dead Drop (cards graveyard)
• 10+ Volcanic Salvo (power of creatures battlefield)
X
• 3- Chord of Calling (untapped creatures battlefield)

LastEdegy on Jarad vod Savo

1 year ago

wow! thanks guys for all the suggestions! I have been so busy, and haven't update much of this deck since early this year.. I will update this deck this weekend, with all the good suggestions you have given..

@king-saproling - thanks for the suggestions! I will consider those..

@casual_competitive - I'm not much of a 2 card auto win combo kind of player, especially since i already have Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Phyrexian Devourer in the deck.. but thanks for the suggestion!

@VEILofAUTUMN - thanks! I might add one of them, it depends on playtesting, since either of them are creatures.. maybe Deadly Rollick..

@vileplume23 - hmm.. these are good on indestructible creatures, but i can't target threats like Ravenous Chupacabra.. i'll consider those.. thanks!

@backdoorbonus - that's a cool new card! affect other players too.. i might add that! thanks for the suggestion!

@cakes25 - it's an instant graveyard fill, but it might be too slow and too random of a card recursion.. but thanks!

@TRANSFORMERS159 - thanks for the suggestions.. however, i have considered those before and it's just to slow for me since those are sorceries compared to Grapple with the Past & Grisly Salvage..

@Cloud777 - Lotleth Giant only affects one opponent, and it's hard to cast or cost higher life to Reanimate, but i might consider Doomgape.. it can be lifegain on a stick.. thanks!

@masayoshishido - Doomed Necromancer can be a cheap creature recursion, Keeper of the Dead will depend on the consistency of creatures on my graveyard, Gemrazer is good on certain situations bu can be vulnerable to single target removals that can kill gemrazer and the mutated creature, Altar of Dementia might be reconsidered.. thanks for all the suggestions!

@antlers12 - Gamekeeper might be a dud, since it needs to die then it needs to have enough noncreature cards to fill a bit of the graveyard and i don't have a lot of sac outlets.. also, creatures in the graveyard is needed for the gameplan of the deck, it might be counterintuitive to mill noncreature cards with Gamekeeper.. but Skull Prophet is a definite inclusion! thanks!

@sigiledwatch - ohh.. true, however putting things in my graveyard can be card draw in a way that's why i don't put a lot of card draws.. but i get what you mean, i might consider some of those cards.. thanks!

@mylene800 - i have considered Ghoultree before, though i'm not sure how it would be good.. i would playtest it again with the changes i would make, and check if it's worth as an inclusion.. however, Hydra Omnivore might be meh in the deck.. 6 mana, 8/8 creature that needs to connect for the best results might be hard in turns 4-6 earliest.. not having trample is not good.. but thanks for the suggestions!

@megantrongriffin13 - both Fiend Artisan and Necrotic Wound are great new changes in the deck! I'll check about Sheoldred, Whispering One.. It might not be a salty preator card, on my playgroup.. thanks!

@lola82600 - yeah! i was excited on adding some of those to my edh decks as well! I will definitely include Bala Ged Recovery  ^Flip and Tangled Florahedron  ^Flip! not sure about Agadeem's Awakening  ^Flip, depends on playtesting if the price of the card versus being useful game ender or just a land most of the time.. I'll consider Nissa of Shadowed Boughs too! Thanks for the suggestions!

mylene800 on Jarad vod Savo

1 year ago

Ghoultree can be turn 3 or 4, 1 mana 10/10 at the right circumstance, and can deal a lot of damage early on.

Hydra Omnivore is also good, when recurred early and attack one opponent w/o blockers to deal damage to every opponent too.