Spellseeker from the new set Battlebond is absolutely making it into the list, also considering adding Gamble

Have you thought about adding in Warstorm Surge?

Really liking the deck. I've been looking at taking apart of couple of my lists and putting together something like this.

What is the purpose of the Wild Growth over Llanowar Elves, Fyndhorn Elves, or just another land?

Also, I've never been a big fan of Chrome Mox, but I understand the need for colored mana. Is the deck color intensive enough that Mana Crypt isn't a viable replacement for the mox?

Driemer84 - Wild Growth can be used the same turn it comes into play and avoids mass creature destruction. A lot of times I'll enchant a dual land or multicolor land with wild growth.

Chrome Mox is awesome if you enter a state of drawing your deck and strapped for Mana. It truly saves the day.

Many times I've been in a draw the entire deck Turing a Cloudstone loop and didn't have the Mana needed to play a win con.

SynergyBuild - Couldn't agree more - great insight.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the long comment. Love to chat about Animar, mind if you answer some questions?

First off, is Animar your favorite deck, or most competitive (what does it mean to you?)

Secondly, where do you see it in the format, Tier-1, 1.5, 2? I know plenty rate it tier 1.5, but do you think otherwise?

Lastly, how budget do you think this deck could become before it is too budget (whilst still being powerful enough to play in a similar meta to yours and pull wins)? (Price ranges like 400$, $150, $800, $1600, etc.)

SynergyBuild - This is an amazing write up. I definitely used this advice to tune up an abzan deck's mana base.

What do you think about running Polluted Delta over Bloodstained Mire since red is the smallest portion of the deck?

Driemer84 thanks, and yes, I forgot to drop Karplusan Forest for it. Thanks a ton.

And Arid Mesa for Exotic Orchard.

Let me redo the final bit:

In all, there are my drops, then I'll say what to run instead:

Drops:

Island (1x)

Forest (1x)

Cascade Bluffs

Shivan Reef

Exotic Orchard

Karplusan Forest

Additions:

Misty Rainforest

Verdant Catacombs

Flooded Strand

Tarnished Citadel

Arid Mesa

Polluted Delta

Okay, so, speaking of combos...there's a lot of lines missing, in my opinion. Plus, too many missed opportunities for tutors that can win game for you. And a complete lack of mana rocks. Which, I get, is kinda the whole point of Animar, Soul of Elements. But what do you do against someone's turn one Torpor Orb? Or someone's turn two Nevermore?

Other good rocks for someone with no budget: Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Fellwar Stone, any Moxen, and Commander's Sphere.

A Panharmonicon would probably go over really well in this deck.

A good tutor that is missing is Tooth and Nail. I like it over Green Sun's Zenith because it can send the cards to your hand, and allow you to cast it for Commander Triggers.

Also Mirran Spy + Banishing Knack would be a really good combo for your deck, in terms of infinite creature casts.

Another backupwin con to Walking Ballista and Purphoros, God of the Forge would be Aetherflux Reservoir. You definitely can cast enough spells to make just the lifegain worth it.

And I would probably add another land or two to the deck. 30 with almost no rocks is risky. My decks run 33 with a lot of rocks, and still sometimes can hit trouble. But if the number has worked for you so far, keep at it. Because if I could go with less lands, I would.

Crop Rotation gives you a redundant Gaea's Cradle

Palinchron gives you infinite mana/infinite ETB with animar with and 7 lands or big mana lands

Animar as a commander nearly negates all colorless costs on all of the creatures, leading Mana Vault/Sol Ring/Mana Crypt and the other such effects to be a waste of a card slot, and the instants, artifacts, sorceries and enchantments can be paid for easily by the dorks and lands. Chrome Mox is already being run, and Mox Diamond is only meh in this build, 30 lands is a bit to little to run Mox Diamond

Panharmonicon is useless for comboes here, and it's value outside of them is negligible, like a second card off of Elvish Visionary

Tooth and Nail is a waste of mana, mana that you won't get a competitive table.

Without Banishing Knack, Mirran Spy is useless, and visa versa is true too. I wouldn't suggest that being run, as it sucks.

Aetherflux Reservoir is a much worse win outlet than either of the other options, Altar of the Brood, Impact Tremors, etc. are all much better in terms of mana, but none of those are good, because they can't be tutored for. Reckless Fireweaver is a much better option, though sadly it doesn't work outside of the Ancestral Statue, otherwise it'd be better than the other options being run.

Crop Rotation is quite powerful, but I don't think it is a second Gaea's Cradle powerful, yes it can tutor, but that means it has a cost, and it is a blowout when it gets countered early on my a Mental Misstep. Things like that are probably why it doesn't deserve a spot.

Palinchron is already run

*its, not it's

SynergyBuild - Thanks for the detailed answer, couldn't agree more!

Still working on fixing the land base - haven't had the time to put in some trades.

Thanks toffmcsoft, would've been embarassing if you were like "Oh, I had no idea those cards existed, they should be put in right now!"

I would have felt so god-damn stupid.