Hello, and welcome to my casual Derevi tokens build.
This deck is not your usual stax Derevi, instead it uses her tap/untap ability to target a creature that can make tokens. The deck is quite consistent, sticky, and strong. It has the best ways to create a lot of mana very fast and can draw a disgusting amount of cards. I'll talk about each section in detail.
The Game plan
First we must understand the gameplan of the deck. See below:
Tokens (8+4): Emmara, Soul of the Accord | Kazandu Tuskcaller | Steward of Solidarity | Stonybrook Schoolmaster | Pride Sovereign | Thraben Doomsayer | Presence of Gond | Squirrel Nest | Fauna Shaman | Heliod's Pilgrim | Recruiter of the Guard | Eladamri's Call
As you see these creatures can all create tokens. Most of them do it by tapping, Derevi gets around the exert ability allowing Steward of Solidarity to tap repetitively. This allows exponential growth and that growth is very strong in EDH. As you can see we also have Emmara, Soul of the Accord and Stonybrook Schoolmaster in the deck. These cards are a bit slower as they require two triggers to create tokens, but if we have something that allows them to tap themselves, like Opposition or Cryptolith Rite then they only need one trigger. Lastly you can see the last three cards all can tutor for a token generator (as this plan is quite essential).
Win Conditions
These are our best ways to win the game:
Win Condition (4): Strixhaven Stadium | Beastmaster Ascension | Cathars' Crusade | True Conviction
Strixhaven Stadium can even take advantage of Derevi's triggers to kill multiple people with just small tokens. Beastmaster Ascension and Cathars' Crusade make our creatures too huge to deal with. True Conviction gives a ridiculous amount of triggers because of double strike and can quickly close out the game after that.
Mana Ramp and Mana Support
Derevi also gets to take advantage of some of the strongest mana generators to create a lot of mana. These include Bloom Tender, Faeburrow Elder, Growing Rites of Itlimoc
. Also Derevi takes advantage of dual lands being able to untap them to generate a lot more mana early. In Search of Greatness is also pretty strong with Derevi as we have a lot of permanents of every CMC and it can cheat them into play or at least scry.
Here is the full list of mana ramp and mana support.
Ramp (16): Arbor Elf | Avacyn's Pilgrim | Birds of Paradise | Elvish Mystic | Fyndhorn Elves | Llanowar Elves | Noble Hierarch | Bloom Tender | Faeburrow Elder | Sol Ring | Strixhaven Stadium | Carpet of Flowers | Utopia Sprawl | Wild Growth | Cryptolith Rite | Druids' Repository
Mana Support (2): In Search of Greatness | Growing Rites of Itlimoc
Hidden lands (1): Emeria's Call
Draw
This is my favorite part of the deck. We have a plethora of cards that draw whenever a creature deals combat damage to a player which can draw us a troubling amount of cards to pull far ahead and out of reach of our opponents ever being able to deal with us. If you get a couple down you want to be careful of decking yourself. Do note some of them say may draw. But always draw unless you will literally be in danger of decking yourself first!
Draw (11): Esper Sentinel | Edric, Spymaster of Trest | Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar | Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist | Toski, Bearer of Secrets | Ohran Frostfang | Huatli, Radiant Champion | Skullclamp | Bident of Thassa | Coastal Piracy | Reconnaissance Mission
Interaction or Disruption
Every deck needs some interaction/ disruption to not just outright lose the game. Some of the cards are stax-like cards like Aven Mindcensor but we definitely are not a stax deck, we just don't want people tutoring for board wipes. Take a look, although we pack some of the strongest interaction cards. The absolute monsters are Beguiler of Wills and Willbreaker. These two cards can almost win the game by themselves. On Thin Ice can be tutored by Heliod's Pilgrim. Opposition can make all our summoning sick tokens tap down all our opponents lands at upkeep to lock them out of the game. Aura Shards straight busted in this deck.
Interaction/ Disruption (9): Daring Thief | Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate | Willbreaker | Oko, Thief of Crowns | Cyclonic Rift | Fierce Guardianship | On Thin Ice | Aura Shards | Opposition
Protection
Maybe the most important section of all is how we protect our game plan. Board-wipes hurt a lot, we are a creature based deck and need our creatures to stick. So we need multiple ways to protect our creatures. For that we have the below:
Protection (11): Selfless Spirit | Dauntless Escort | Guardian of Faith | Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate | Heroic Intervention | Fierce Guardianship | Flawless Maneuver | Teferi's Protection | Akroma's Will | Emeria's Call
| Eldrazi Monument
As you can see these are all premium protection spells. Doesn't include Fierce Guardianship. Akroma's Will also gives double strike and protection from all colors so it can be used as a win condition if the creatures are buffed up.
Getting in combat damage
Lastly, since our game plan relies on dealing combat damage, we have some ways to help us in that sector. My favorite is Odric, Lunarch Marshal since it at least gives our entire team flying. Reconnaissance lets us save whatever does get blocked. Opposition can let some creatures (or summoning sick ones) tap down blockers as well.
Combat Support (7): Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive | Odric, Lunarch Marshal | Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa | Ohran Frostfang | Akroma's Will | Reconnaissance | Opposition
Anyway, that's the deck! I really enjoy playing it, its quite smooth, fun and I love drawing ridiculous amounts. Proxy the lands. Have fun!
