Creature (29)
Land (19)
Enchantment (3)
Instant (9)
Sideboard
Instant (7)
Artifact (5)
Creature (3)
My personal favorite, albeit, second modern deck and one that I've foiled/blinged out because I fell harshly in love with such a simple concept. I'm a Timmy, Power Gamer at heart since I've started magic. I was once playing my old Borderpost Restore Balance deck many moons ago, but when Electrodominance was spoiled and people were able to switch off the antique version, a combination of stubbornness and money made me fall out of the deck altogether. I stumbled upon a list in mtggoldfish and as cards slowly came out for it, I built into it finishing the deck in early 2020 when the pandemic hit, and thus this deck has never seen a LGS tabletop since.
Unfortunately,
As the modern format has evolved, the meta game has too, not only getting faster, stronger, and more resilient featuring cards, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Crashing Footfalls, Solitude, and even Prismatic Ending taking center stage, this archetype doesn't have the gas it once use to to outpace anything else. I still find it super fun for my friends table and if I happen to find a LGS nearby I'm 100% taking this with me always.
4 Experiment One
The original 1/1 of this deck that came out years ago. While some people agree Pelt Collector has outpaced it due to trample and seeing things die, this guy's regeneration ability still is relevant and deceptively annoying.
4 Pelt Collector
Copy 5-8 of Experiment One. Better due too seeing creatures leave and enter, but vulnerable to removal. Makes up for it by gaining trample. However, only seeing the power of creatures, the biggest he could get in a vacuum in my deck is a 4/4 compared to the 5/5 Experiment One which sometimes makes a difference if you face any Crashing Footfalls or Fury.
2 Hexdrinker
With Fury being banned, I feel better about adding this back in. Serving as a great mana sink and slow burn beater.
2 Dryad Militant
Relevant today as when it came out. Not only does she grow both Pelt Collector and Experiment One, she makes all graveyard dependent decks annoyed by shutting down Dragon's Rage Channelers, shrinking Tarmogoyfs, and messing up even the occasional Snapcaster Mage and Creeping Chill
4 Strangleroot Geist
Double Green Pips to fuel Aspect of Hydra and comes back from the dead. Very efficient overall and probably the best green creature ever.
2 Syr Faren, the Hengehammer
Another fun, albeit personal choice, two drop. Giving any creature a nice +2/+2 in combat and scales with Rancor. However, she is super vulnerable to any removal or damage based removal and being a combat trigger can be played around since she can't buff herself. But the pros outweigh the cons.
4 Avatar of the Resolute *f-pre*
Reach and Trample stapled to a 3/2 body for 2 is already great stats and keywords. While it doesn't pair with non-grown Pelt Collectors and Experiment Ones, if it comes down While they already have +1/+1 counters on them, then they'll both gain new ones and he'll grow himself! Super powerful Creature even without counters.
3 Werewolf Pack Leader *f-pre*
While I wish I could've found room for a 4th, having it at 3 is still plenty good. One of the decks most recent addition giving this deck much needed draw power and mana sink to essentially staple a Rancor to it. Also gives us the coveted 3 power mark to help grow our Pelt Collectors and Experiment Ones from 2/2s to 3/3s.
4 Leatherback Baloth
A semi-recent change. I wasn't happy with the Steel Leaf Champions Stat line and a lot of creatures in modern tend to have more 3+ power that can chump and trade. Not counting Fury removes it cleanly, Flame Slash kills it (if you ever run into someone playing it), and even Crashing Footfalls makes trades. Baloth, while not coming with any evasion has a coveted 5 toughness breakpoint negating a lot of damage, and pairing it with Rancor gives me a threatening 6/5 trampler.
4 Aspect of Hydra
The mainstay closer, and the card that started it all. With just Pelt Collector and Strangleroot Geist out on T3 you can do 7 damage which is insane, even more if you can squeeze a 2nd Geist down to do 11 damage which isn't uncommon. Helps us compete against any deck.
3 Rancor
This use to be a 4-of, but I found it too redundant and hand clogging. 3 seems to be my sweet spot in this deck.
2 Vines of Vastwood
Protection spell AND a massive +4/+4 for just GG is huge. One of the best damage spells and protection spells we have in our arsenal.
3 Dismember
Our best removal spell that isn't a fight spell. Yes 4 life is a lot, but to remove almost any threat to push damage or save your butt is great. Some have found it over Kill against decks these days that play a lot of X/1s, but I still love it.
11 Forest
Immune to Blood Moon and doesn't deal us damage like a lot fetch/dual heavy decks.
4 Nurturing Peatland
Allows me to play Dismember for 2 life instead of 4. Helps extend plays by drawing much needed cards at instance speed which could be an Aspect of Hydra or even a Rancor.
2 Treetop Village
2 mana 3/3 with trample. Only downside is it comes into play tapped which can cause issues if it is one of your starting lands. But is instrumental in pushing damage through or even making a surprised blocker.
2 Lair of the Hydra
A fast land if in your opening hand and another surprise blocker. While never on rate as Treetop Village, allows to go tall and acts as a mana sink. Needs assistance to help otherwise can be chumped, but if not watched can swallow blockers.
3 Scavenging Ooze
The best tech ever for Dredge and Graveyard Decks
3 Damping Sphere
Because Tron, Storm, and Prowess decks exist. However, while it slows them down it does also slow me down since my T2 play doesn't develop much of a board. But when I do get it down early it helps.
3 Veil of Summer
Against any xUB decks, this is my silver bullet to not only extend plays, protect my resources, but also allows for a cantrip.
2 Void Mirror
Good against Cascade decks, Free mana decks, and Eldrazi if I can catch them before they get a colored source down
2 Life Goes On
My anti-burn tech and helps recoup against my Dismembers and helps keep me in the game against any other aggressive decks I face if we get to an arms race.
2 Force of Vigor
Just good generic hate
My specific list likes to play as much on curve minus 1 mana, for example:
Turn 1:
Forest --> Pelt Collector/Experiment One/Dryad Militant
Turn 2:
Forest/Lair of the Hydra --> Syr Faren, the Hengehammer/Strangleroot Geist/Werewolf Pack Leader
Turn 3:
Forest --> Strangleroot Geist/Werewolf Pack Leader
or Dryad Militant/Pelt Collector/Experiment One
Holding up 1 mana at all times allows us to keep Vines of Vastwood/Dismember/Aspect of Hydra consistently in our back pocket to surprise our opponent and react to anything they may do.
Since I primarily function around the 2 mana value range, I've broken done cards I'd like too see in my opening hand by category and ranked.
While it's okay to have multiple cards from a singular category, aim to have a spread from all of them for maximum efficiency.
The reason Dryad Militant is considered a flex option over a preferred one drop is due to wanting to play an Experiment One or Pelt Collector first, and then follow it up with a 2 drop. Unless you're facing a spell heavy meta like Burn or UR Control where her impact is needed. Or want to go Pelt Collector on Turn 1 and Pelt Collector/Experiment One and Dryad Militant on Turn 2 for a double evolve trigger.
Opening Hand
1 Preferred Mana:
Forest, Forest, Forest.
2 Can Still Function Mana:
Forest, Forest, Treetop Village
3 Maybe Mulligan Mana:
Forest, Lair of the Hydra, Treetop Village
Preferred 1 Drops:
1 Pelt Collector
2 Experiment One
Preferred 2 Drops:
1 Strangleroot Geist
2 Syr Faren, the Hengehammer
3 Werewolf Pack Leader
Preferred Spells:
1 Aspect of Hydra
2 Rancor
3 Dismember
7th Flex Card:
1 Vines of Vastwood
2 Leatherback Baloth
3 Dryad Militant
Always mulligan a hand with 4 or more lands, has zero 1 drops in hand, or has no basic forests/Lair of the Hydra.
If we miss the crucial one drop play due to 0 one drops, or having a Treetop Village and a Lair of the Hydra in hand, it puts us behind tempo and leaves ourselves opened to stray Ragavan, Nimble Pilferers or Delver of Secrets . We want too be turning sideways first. Not our opponents.
Burn Matchup 40/60
Out:
3 Dismember
1 Leatherback Baloth
In:
2 Life Goes On
2 Damping Sphere
Reasoning:
Damping Sphere slows down burn plays a tad since they can't reliable chain spells together and Life Goes On helps us stabilize enough because it counters 1.5 bolts.
We take out Dismembers because burn does not play creature worth killing at the cost of 4 life which quickens our death. We also remove 1 Leatherback Baloth due to our need to accelerate our game play and push damage.
Tron Matchup 30/70
Out:
3 Dismember
3 Rancor
1 Dryad Militant
In:
3 Damping Sphere
2 Force of Vigor
2 Void Mirror
Reasoning:
Tron runs A lot of big bois rendering our Dismembers useless. I'm hesitant to always remove Rancors in this Matchup, but it helps open doors to more tech, and since Tron don't play a lot of Instants/sorceries, Dryad Militant gets cut to 3.
I run Damping Sphere, Force of Vigor, and Void Mirror to slow them down as much as possible. All 3 of these help me turn the corner.
Cascade 50/50
Out:
2 Syr Faren, the Hengehammer
2 Aspect of Hydra
1 Dismember
In:
2 Void Mirror/Damping Sphere
3 Veil of Summer
Reasoning:
Syr Faren, the Hengehammer is too slow against the amount of removal these decks play and I've found that opponents will always target an Aspect of Hydra to stop my big damage boosts, and going down to 2 Dismembers still help us answer their threats.
Void Mirror absolutely stops their Crashing Footfalls off any Cascade, and Damping Sphere is a secondary effect to stop their counterspells and Crashing Footfalls. Lastly, Veil of Summer is a godsend. Stops any counterspell shenanigans and draws us a card.
BR Control 3/97
Out:
3 Dismember
4 Aspect of Hydra
1 Rancor
In:
3 Veil of Summer
2 Void Mirror
3 Force of Vigor
Reasoning:
This is such a tough matchup. Between their T1 Thoughtseize or Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, or Grief, and even Terminates they have an answer to everything. Pre and post game 2.
These changes are in a vain attempt to slow them down and protect us and at least establish a board to turn sideways. Veil of Summer stops all their plays immediately and Void Mirror stops free casted Griefs, and Force of Vigor stops the Enginered Explosives/Chalice of the Void from outright killing us
Dredge 60/40
Out: 3 Dismember
In:
3 Scavenging Ooze
This matchup is probably my only favorited one due too little support Dredge has gotten and how similar all their lists are.
Scavenging Ooze comes in over Dismember due to most lists not having any really big creatures. Ooze eats any creatures they mill, as long as we have mana up, which is really all we need.
UR Control 20/80
In:
3 Scavenging Ooze
3 Veil of Summer
2 Damping Sphere --> if needed.
Reasoning:
This is my 2nd worse matchup, or as my friends and I call it "Simon Says" or "Mother May I".
We take out Dismember and Rancor because of, much like Dredge, how little big guys they run and Rancor eating up resources against a very removal/counterspell heavy deck. While this does leave us open to large Ledger Shredders, our Avatar of the Resolute helps dodge some heat.
Veil of Summer is our most important card that I will often hard mulligan until I have at least one in my hand. Scavenging Ooze helps shrink their Dragon's Rage Channeler, Murktide Regents and Unholy Heats.. If I've found in G1 my opponent is throwing spells around, I'll often board in Damping Spheres to stop them from fueling up their yards.
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Casual
100% Competitive
| Date added | 2 years |
| Last updated | 3 days |
| Legality | This deck is Modern legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 2 - 0 Mythic Rares 19 - 7 Rares 19 - 6 Uncommons 6 - 2 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 1.66 |
| Folders | Modern Decks, modern, Modern Favorites |
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