Llanowar Empath

Creature — Elf Shaman

When Llanowar Empath enters the battlefield, scry 2, then reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it into your hand. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (13)

MeneerDutchy on Henzie “The Toolman” Taylor ETB

2 years ago

Torgaar, Famine Incarnate Dusk Mangler Gruul Ragebeast Hornet Queen Meteor Golem Overseer of the Damned Regal Force Rune-Scarred Demon Terror of Mount Velus Titan of Industry Verdant Sun's Avatar Baleful Beholder Bane of Progress Blight-Breath Catoblepas Blitz Leech Brutalizer Exarch Cleanup Crew Dakmor Lancer Dark Hatchling Duplicant Earthshaker Giant Goremand Grave Titan Great Oak Guardian Greenwarden of Murasa Kodama of the East Tree Kogla, the Titan Ape Massacre Wurm Noxious Gearhulk Patron of the Vein Ravager Wurm Regal Behemoth Soul of the Harvest Sower of Discord Thief of Blood Ulvenwald Hydra Whiptongue Hydra Bloodtithe Collector Blossom Prancer Cavalier of Thorns Conclave Naturalists Custodi Lich Demanding Dragon Emrakul's Hatcher Fury Giant Ambush Beetle Gilt-Leaf Winnower Gray Merchant of Asphodel God-Eternal Rhonas Gruesome Scourger Ingot Chewer Indrik Stomphowler Invader Parasite Keldon Firebombers Massacre Girl Mindclaw Shaman Morkrut Banshee Nessian Game Warden Obsidian Charmaw Pharika's Mender Phyrexian Delver Predatory Nightstalker Priest of the Blood Rite Puppeteer Clique Qasali Slingers Regisaur Alpha Serpent Assassin Shadowborn Demon Shriekmaw Silverglade Elemental Stuffy Doll Stingerfling Spider Whiptail Moloch Wei Assassins Wild Celebrants Agent of Erebos Ancestral Statue Balustrade Spy Bloodboil Sorcerer Bramble Sovereign Cackling Fiend Carrion Imp Chain Devil Coal Stoker Dagger Caster Disciple of Bolas Dread Presence Flametongue Kavu Foundation Breaker Grief Intellect Devourer Kozilek's Predator Llanowar Empath Masked Admirers Mausoleum Turnkey Misfortune Teller Myconid Spore Tender Nekrataal Nantuko Cultivator Ondu Giant Oxidda Scrapmelter Quirion Trailblazer Rampant Rejuvenator Ravenous Chupacabra Sawblade Slinger Slippery Bogbonder Solemn Simulacrum Summoner's Egg Sylvan Messenger Traxos, Scourge of Kroog Umori, the Collector Voice of Many

eyes2sky on Domri Rade Gets Adopted

5 years ago

Consider: Llanowar Empath , Genesis Hydra or Mwonvuli Beast Tracker

TheCardPool on

6 years ago

UPDATE #2

Out:

Dualcaster Mage Llanowar Empath

In:

Fauna Shaman Patron of the Orochi

I honestly hadn't even thought about it before, but Patron is a slam dunk in this deck for a host of reasons--sorry Dualcaster, you're situational and you've been replaced, for now. I also finally got another Fauna Shaman and it's just too good not to include--certainly better than the one-and-done Empath. Still have to test this deck out a lot more though.

TheCardPool on

6 years ago

UPDATE #1

Out:

Fauna Shaman Hydra Broodmaster Flametongue Kavu Skyshroud Poacher Tireless Tracker Scavenging Ooze Manglehorn Harbinger of the Hunt Wolfbriar Elemental Huntmaster of the Fells  ^Flip Yisan, the Wanderer Bard Gruul Spellbreaker Budoka Gardener Scryb Ranger Ulvenwald Tracker Quirion Ranger Ruric Thar, the Unbowed Buried Ruin Gruul Turf Kazandu Refuge Rugged Highlands Mountain Valley 2x Mountain 2x Forest

In:

Dualcaster Mage Llanowar Empath Genesis Hydra Yeva, Nature's Herald Decimator of the Provinces Siege Behemoth Magus of the Library Brutalizer Exarch Duplicant Greenwarden of Murasa Loaming Shaman Golden Guardian  ^Flip Burnished Hart Wood Elves Gaea's Herald Frontier Guide Diligent Farmhand Contested Cliffs Endless Sands Ghost Quarter Mystifying Maze Fungal Reaches Sheltered Thicket Raging Ravine Game Trail Memorial to Unity

My first update is focused on fine-tuning the deck a bit and getting rid of some of the obvious misfits with some needed staples and just new cards I thought would work. I decided to go all-in on the quick beatdown plan, so I added in some low-curve mana producers like Wood Elves, Magus of the Library, Frontier Guide, and Burnished Hart along with some heavy beaters and game-enders like Decimator of the Provinces and Siege Behemoth. I also added a bit more tutoring power with cards like Genesis Hydra and Brutalizer Exarch. I removed a bit of the Elf tribal suite because while it may be good in the early game, it won’t matter much if you get something like Skyshroud Poacher later in the game. I added Yeva, Nature’s Herald because having flash is crucial for a deck like this to really succeed—surprise allows you to dodge removal and play conservatively instead of walking into spot removal and board wipes. Speaking of flash, I can’t believe I didn’t consider Dualcaster Mage before—you may not be able to cast your own instants and sorceries, but Nikya doesn’t say anything about not letting you take other people’s! Golden Guardian I think is an excellent card in this deck—not only does it die easily to most of your powerful creatures, including your commander, but it transforms instantly into a land to boost your mana AND that pumps out Golems every turn with the extra mana you have left over. Finally, I also beefed up the land suite a bit to include some more utility lands—one thing I’ve realized is that the lands in this deck will have to carry some of the extra weight of you not playing spells. Contested Cliffs gives you access to extra removal, as many of this deck’s most powerful creatures are Beasts. Fungal Reaches lets you store extra Nikya mana for a big burst later on. Endless Sands is more insurance against removal and board wipes. And Mystifying Maze provides the deck with some much-needed defensive capability, once again helped by all that extra mana.

Something I’m struggling with is how much to focus on my beatdown plan versus an anti-control or combo plan. As it stands, this deck is well tuned for the beats but is weak against non-interactive strategies like storm or blink decks. Cards like Ruric Thar, Immolation Shaman, and Harsh Mentor would definitely put a crimp in their plans and stop them from going off, but they don’t really help toward Nikya’s goals much. Other cards like Runic Armasaur that are designed for the long game don’t seem at home in this specific version of the deck—I could see an alternate build though designed more with control in mind than beatdown. You’ll notice I’ve added a large Maybeboard of cards I want to include, but just can’t find space for.

Thoughts?

Forkbeard on Roon ETB Effects

6 years ago

Cut suggestions: Cultivate, Grow from the Ashes, Kodama's Reach, Skyshroud Claim, Displace, Ghostly Flicker, Momentary Blink, Angel of Condemnation, Avacyn's Pilgrim, Cloudblazer, Djinn of Wishes, Elvish Rejuvenator, Elvish Visionary, Felidar Guardian, Flickerwisp, Frost Lynx, Kitchen Finks, Llanowar Empath, Lone Missionary, Militia Bugler, Sakura-Tribe Elder & Satyr Wayfinder

Styrupp on Green Landfall Hydras

8 years ago

Start by removing Sylvan Scrying and all Seek the Wilds what are you going to search for a Forest?? better to remove and get higher chance to draw a land. Natural Connection is good you need more instant speed spells which ramps and good synergy with landfall.

Suggestions: Kodama's Reach,Caravan Vigil, Cultivate problem is that they are sorcery speed, Harrow may be a thing for the dubble landfall.

2x more Evolving Wild for synergy with landfall is a ++.

Reclaiming Vines remove it, use a more efficient one, like Nature's Claim,Reclamation Sage or Acidic Slime. (Natural State is ok)

Remove your Titanic Growth,Giant Growth and Aspect of Hydra but keep Swell of Growth for landfall.

Remove Somberwald Alpha Hidden Herbalists need to remove creatures to increase your chance to draw your big endgame like Nessian Wilds Ravager and Oran-Rief Hydra.

Remove Loam Larva is just a dead draw Elvish Visionary and Pilgrim's Eye is 100 times better.

Pilgrim's Eye is thinning your deck so you draw endgame cards earlier. Elvish Visionary replacing it self.

Llanowar Empath is an expensive Elvish Visionary i would remove it.

How i would read this deck:Go def early game and then slam huge HYDRAS end game!

Maccano1 on Crouching Rhino, Blinking Value - Roon

8 years ago

Changes:

In:

Llanowar Empath

Out:

Sylvan Library

Some friends have mentioned that they think that this deck is getting to powerful so I'm making this change. Possibly taking Lavinia out as well ;-(

multimedia on Gb Elves

8 years ago

NinjaShank56, here is my version of Standard Elves, Rite Elves. It's a different take on Elves, but it might give you some ideas. Here are some sideboard suggestions.

Transgress the Mind, Grasp of Darkness, Sylvan Advocate, Tireless Tracker, Gilt-Leaf Winnower and Aerial Volley.

Elves really need some kind of discard spell to combat Languish as it's the go to board sweeper that black decks are using to punish Company and Humans decks. Duress is fine, but in my opinion Transgress is better even though it costs more. The only positive that Duress has over Transgress is it can take Declaration in Stone. Transgress is very good vs emerge. This is particularly helpful if you face the Elder Deep-Fiend and Kozilek's Return combo. Its also good vs Delirium, exiling instead of putting cards into your opponent's yard. Exiling Ishkanah, Grafwidow is important. You might face a ramp matchup, GR Goggles, GR Eldrazi, where Transgress might just be a lifesaver.

Grasp is my opinion the best removal spell right now because it's unconditional instant removal which is good in all the top three matchups: Humans, Bant Company and Spirits. It's excellent vs Spell Queller and Archangel Avacyn  ^Flip.

If you aren't planning on using Advocate main deck then he should be in the sideboard if only for the Humans matchup. He is just the most efficient 2 drop right now in Standard. He's also busted when paired with Hissing Quagmire. Turn 6 is the likeliest turn that Decimator will be cast, him and Advocate together make a lot of damage.

Tracker is just a super efficient creature who can give you great card advantage and really win a game by herself if left alive. Tracker and Sylvan Advocate together are a formidable team that no control deck wants to face.

Winnower is an Elf who can be found by Sylvan Messenger and is good because he can kill a large amount of the most powerful creatures in Standard, most notably Spell Queller as well as can't be targeted on the stack by Queller, all the other spirits, Elder Deep-Fiend, Reflector Mage, Thalia, Heretic Cathar, both Gisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading Light, he's also an out to Brisela, Voice of Nightmares, Tireless Tracker, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, etc. He's also great with Gnarlroot Trapper.

Volley although narrower than my other suggestions is great in the Spirits matchup because it has the potential of killing three spirits for 1 mana at instant speed. It can also kill Spell Queller for 1 mana. It can't however kill Archangel Avacyn  ^Flip which could be a problem.

As far as main deck changes my suggestions are to cut Eldritch Evolution for Collected Company, cut Beastcaller Savant for Leaf Gilder because he can cast Company turn 3 and cut the single Leaf Gilder, Llanowar Empath and Soul of the Harvest for 3x Duskwatch Recruiter  ^Flip because he can find Decimator of the Provinces as well as Shaman of the Pack. Even though Duskwatch is not an Elf his ability including his Werewolf side are very good for the Elf and Emerge strategies. As it is right now you have 1x Empath who can find Decimator and his dig is bad, unless you draw Decimator you have a small chance of getting him into your hand. Only 5 untapped black sources to cast a turn 1 Gnarlroot Trapper is not enough, you want at least eight or ten. I would cut 2x Westvale Abbey  ^Flip and 1x Foul Orchard for 3 more Swamp. Abbey is an excellent card, but you really need to be using Cryptolith Rite if you want to use it as a 4 of. Abbey is also quite risky with all the Reflector Mages running around.

Good luck with your deck and good luck at GP Portland.